It was always going to be a long shot for Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. to win the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year for 2025 going up against Cleveland Browns All-Pro pass rusher Myles Garrett.
The former No. 1 overall pick and 2023 DPOY winner was coming off a career season, breaking Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record with 23 takedowns and an NFL-leading 33 tackles for loss. Anderson, who netted 23 tackles for loss and 12 sacks, garnered most of his attention for the on-field impact amid a 12-win campaign down off NRG Drive.
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Still, was the voting close?
Not really, but also yes.
Garrett received all 50 first-place votes, making him the first unanimous winner of the award since Aaron Donald in 2018. As for Anderson, he finished second with 117 total votes, becoming the only player to receive other than Garrett to receive over 100 votes.
Green Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons finished third with 63 votes.
While it might not seem like a massive win, it’s a step in the right direction for Anderson, who could receive a contract extension this offseason after proving to be the anchor for the league’s No. 1 defense en route to a third straight division title appearance.
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Given the details of Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby’s potential extension, the Texans should be all over getting a deal lined up for the future Defensive Player of the Year this offseason.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Where did Houston Texans DE Will Anderson Jr. finish in DPOY voting?