In the NFL, mini-camp is a time for rookies and newly-acquired players to acclimate to their new team and surroundings, make relationships with their teammates and get familiar with how things run at their new organization.

“There was a couple of times where it got a little… Will came out,” Anderson said with a sly smile on Tuesday. “There was a couple of times you’ve got to dial it back because not everybody responds to how you may talk to them. Everybody is different.”

Anderson didn’t stop with the third-person reference during his media availability after practice, as he was asked how he operates as a leader of arguably the best defensive unit in the NFL. 

“I think taking that next step of leadership and differentiating the difference between [other players] talking to Will and talking to somebody else has been a really big challenge for me,” Anderson said. “But I’ve been taking this step of grace because I remember how it was when I was a rookie and how hard it was.”

Grace was something rarely given by the Texans’ defense last season, as the unit finished first in yards allowed (277.2) and points allowed (17.4) as the team found itself in the postseason for the third year in a row. Anderson’s all-gas, no-brakes approach helped fuel the Texans’ defense to land three All-Pros—Anderson, Danielle Hunter and Derek Stingley Jr. in 2025. 

“Anytime I step on the field, it’s an opportunity to get better,” Anderson said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s OTAs, being in training camp, walk-through, jog-through, I’m learning how to be a pro still. I can’t do jog-throughs because I’m going to be on the sideline or I’m going full speed, but that’s me training my body to be in these positions that I’m going to be in in a game, training my hands, training my footwork, turning a corner, throwing by, setting edges, everything like that. I’ve only been wired one way, and that’s to go full-speed.”

That full-speed approach occasionally needs a small touch of governorship. 

“On the field, it’s a little touch and go,” Texans head coach Demeco Ryans said on Tuesday. “Will gets a little close to C.J. [Stroud] too many times. But they make up afterwards and they’re friendly.”

While Anderson is working to be a bit more cordial with his quarterback and new teammates, he acknowledges that the edge he hopes to provide is about getting the Texans franchise to places it has never been before. 

“I’ve been here for four years and in the last three years, we haven’t got past the second round,” Anderson said. “The sense of urgency in the building is high. What we’re trying to achieve is high.”

New players, including rookies Keylan Rutledge and Kayden McDonald, will be expected to make big contributions in 2026. Anderson’s mentorship is reminding them why Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio bet big on them in the draft. 

“You’re okay. You’re good. You’re here for a reason,” Anderson said, recalling discussions with the new players. “They chose you for a reason, because they thought you’re good enough to help this team get somewhere we’ve never been before.”

Championship expectations rule the roost in Houston, and Anderson proclaimed that “this has been the best OTAs” he’s experienced as a member of the Texans. Ryans’s and Caserio’s joint mission has always been about establishing a culture and getting players to buy in. Anderson believes they have everything they need.    

“I look at this team, and we’ve got Super Bowl-caliber players all over the field,” Anderson said. “It’s just about taking that next step.”