Will Anderson Jr. isn’t dwelling on how the Houston Texans’ 2025 season ended, and he doesn’t sound interested in letting anyone else linger there either.
That finish was a rough one. After Houston ripped through the second half of the regular season without a loss following its Week 9 defeat to the Denver Broncos, then added a third straight Wild Card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Texans had a shot at something bigger in Foxboro.
Instead, the New England Patriots shut that door with a 28-16 win, and Houston’s offense never found its footing. C.J.
Stroud threw four interceptions, the Texans were without Nico Collins, Dalton Schultz, and Cade Stover, and even a strong showing from the defense wasn’t enough to rescue the night.
But Anderson says the mood inside the building has already shifted to what comes next.
Speaking with Big Sarge Media at his football camp in Georgia last week, the Texans’ All-Pro defender made it clear the team has moved on from the disappointment and is locked in on 2026.
"What happened in 2025 is no longer," Anderson said. "What are we going to do right now in 2026?
What is the 2026-27 Texans going to look like? I think for us, it's about elevating our mindset, elevating our expectation, going above and beyond the expectation and the standard we have to get over that hump."
Anderson said that approach isn’t just his own. He described a roster that has been intentional in its work and unified in how it’s attacking the offseason, even if each player’s process looks a little different.
"Everybody's going through their process," Anderson continued. "Whatever it may look like, I can say that everybody's been intentional.
The intent has been there through walkthroughs, full speed, in the meeting room. I think we've really taken time to dial some things in, take our time with calls.
Really understand the scheme."
He also pointed to progress across the roster, from the veterans helping bring along the younger players to the rookies making a strong early impression.
"Offense has been doing a good job. Defense has been doing a good job.
Special teams has been doing a good job. I think all of the vets have been doing a good job of bringing the younger guys on as well.
The rookies looked phenomenal in OTAs, so I can't wait to see what they do in training camp."
For Anderson, the message is simple: the Texans can’t change how last season ended, but they can decide what the next one looks like. And if the mindset he described matches the roster moves Houston has made this offseason, the Texans believe they’ve got a real chance to finally push deeper into January.
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