Stroud, Anderson focused on improving
Following a whirlwind rookie season, things have slowed down for the Texans’ cornerstone players, quarterback C.J. Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson Jr.
Anderson took a muchneeded vacation, the first one he’s had in years. Stroud said he hasn’t spent this much time with his family since he was in high school. That includes some quality hang sessions with his 19-year-old toy poodle, Oreo.
This time last year, both players were engrossed with navigating the NFL draft process. When Houston took Stroud at No. 2 overall, the team’s brass locked down its franchise signal-caller. When general manager Nick Caserio made the aggressive trade up to No. 3, the Texans were confident they’d identified their defensive game wrecker.
Check and check. Stroud and Anderson, just one year into their NFL careers, are legitimate stars now after winning the offensive and defensive rookie of the year awards, respectively. They helped first-year coach DeMeco Ryans lead the Texans to the AFC South title and a playoff win over the Browns as Houston returned to the postseason for the first time since the 2019 season.
“I thank God I got to be teammates with Will,” Stroud said Monday. “I definitely don’t want to play against him. We’re just pushing one another. We sit next to each other in team meetings, and we’re constantly talking about how we can get this team better. Honestly, we talk about how we can get (the team) closer. It’s not all about just work. We’re trying to build. DeMeco always talks about (how) the closest teams are the best teams. For us, we’re trying to build the closest team and do it in a natural light and natural way.”
This offseason has provided a welcome change of pace for both players. Instead of preparing for the combine, flying across the country for top-30 visits or trying to figure out what suit they’ll wear on draft night, they’re solely focused on self-improvement.
“I’m feeling great,” said Stroud, who passed for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns in his first NFL season. “It’s a lot of learning things that I went through last year. It was really good to be with a lot of young guys. We built that foundation, I felt, and now it’s time to up it another scale. For myself, that’s just, first and foremost, being a leader. And then second, with my play. I’m excited. I think I got a lot better these past couple weeks, working with my guys out in L.A. Now it’s time to get better with my team and go on and take every little step. I think last year, I wasn’t able to do that much. I was meeting with every team, going through offense after offense, meeting with a new coordinator, meeting with a new head coach the next week. And then I finally got here, and everything just ramped up. So now I’m coming into the same offense, (and) I get to slow down and really get better at what we’re trying to get done this next year, so I’m very excited for that.”
Both Stroud and Anderson were at NRG Stadium on Monday as the Texans began voluntary offseason workouts. For Anderson, it was a chance to connect with teammates again and feel some of the positive energy the team created with its turnaround performance in 2023.
“Every day feels the same,” Anderson said. “I walked in with a big smile on my face. Everybody had a big smile on their face, and we were all just excited to see each other again. But the energy in the locker room has always been great, no matter who we have in there. It’s just the type of guys we have here.”
The Texans are well-positioned to make another run at the AFC South title after key offseason additions. Houston added edge rusher Danielle Hunter, a former Morton Ranch star and four-time Pro Bowler, to play opposite Anderson. The team also traded for running back Joe Mixon and receiver Stefon Diggs, stars who will further bolster Stroud’s options.
As Anderson phrased it, the “Texans ain’t for everybody.” But he’s confident in what the team has done to keep expectations high and maintain momentum.
“It’s a different type of DNA you have to have to play here, man,” said Anderson, who ranked top three in the league among edge defenders in both runstop and pass-rush win rate last season. “It’s a different type of character you have to have, and you just have to love football. I think the front office and the coaches, they do a really good job of choosing the guys they want to be here that can help change the culture and keep uplifting the culture and be a positive impact, not only in the building, but in the locker room as well.”