Will Anderson Jr. could be back in time for the Houston Texans’ Week 10 showdown against the Detroit Lions, but his chances feel slim after Thursday’s practice.
The second-year defensive end did not partake in drills during the open media session and was listed as a non-participant on the injury report. Barring a last-second return on Friday, it seems unlikely that Anderson will play on Sunday Night Football as Houston debuts its new “Battle Red” jerseys.
Slight improvement for some defensive line depth. The #Texans will need it with Will Anderson trending to not playing.
Nico Collins is of course not listed because he is on injured reserve and not been designated for return. pic.twitter.com/MoZSn9poNj
— Cody Stoots (@Cody_Stoots) November 7, 2024
Anderson, a favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year, suffered an ankle injury during the first quarter after teammate Neville Hewitt landed on him while trying to make a tackle on running back Breece Hall. He was able to work out on the sidelines and tried to make a comeback three separate times, but he only played three snaps before missing the second half.
Anderson dealt with a lingering ankle injury through this preseason and missed two games last season because of it en route to winning the 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year honor. He’s
Players who don’t practice the first two days of the week usually are ruled out for Sunday’s matchup. Anderson, who entered last week as the NFL leader in tackles for loss, likely must practice in some capacity during Friday’s walkthroughs if he plans to play.
It’s not impossible for a player for a player to miss two days of practice and then return for gameday. Defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi didn’t practice until Friday’s walkthrough before the Texans’ Week 7 matchup against the Green Bay Packers after dealing with a shoulder injury.
Tight end Dalton Schultz played after an ankle injury sidelined him for two days prior to Week 2’s primetime matchup against the Chicago Bears.
Both practiced on Friday, however, giving them a chance to show up on the injury report as “questionable.” Friday will be perhaps the most crucial day for evaluation of Anderson’s status.
Texans Thursday practice. Still no WR Nico Collins or DE Will Anderson pic.twitter.com/Qrq8cCcbjN
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) November 7, 2024
Without the former No. 3 overall pick, Houston likely turns to a combination of Derek Barnett and Denico Autry as the top two pass-rushers opposite Danielle Hunter.
Much like Nico Collins, Anderson was on the trajectory for a career-defining season. He throttled opponents with five sacks over his past four games, leading to his first AFC Defensive Player of the Month honor.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on NBC.