The numbers tell the story.
Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter have put together dominant 2025 seasons for the Houston Texans, establishing themselves as one of the NFL's most feared pass-rushing duos.
Through nine games, Hunter leads the Texans with 9 sacks, ranking 5th among all edge defenders in the NFL according to PFF. Anderson Jr. has posted 7 sacks of his own, good for 13th among edge rushers, along with three forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries, including one for a touchdown.
Anderson Jr. ranks 4th among all edge defenders with a 90.8 overall grade from PFF. His pass rush grade of 91.5 also ranks 4th in the league. Hunter isn't far behind with an 89.5 overall grade, ranking 6th, and a 90.2 pass rush grade.
Head Coach DeMeco Ryans summed up what opposing quarterbacks face: "I'm happy I never played quarterback because I'll probably be taking a lot of sacks," he said. "The way Will plays, we know the effort, the intensity that he plays with. Danielle, he was exploding off the ball [against the Jaguars on November 9], playing violent, not slowing down."
"Will and Danielle, they're definitely a scary force on the edge and two of the best edge rushers in the league. We're blessed to have both of those guys as rushers on our team."
Historic Milestone: Hunter Joins the 100 Club
Hunter hit a career-defining milestone in September against Tampa Bay. He recorded his 100th career sack, becoming one of just 43 players in NFL history to reach that mark.
At 31 years old, Hunter now has 107 career sacks. He's just 7.5 sacks away from matching Texans legend J.J. Watt's 114.5 career total.
"Congratulations to him to reach such an incredible feat," Ryans said after Hunter's milestone game. "It's an honor just to be working alongside him and seeing how he works at his craft every day. He's a special man, special young man, and I'm thankful to be around him."
"He does a really good job of just playing with a relentless motor, as you saw in the game. He gave us a chance by getting after the quarterback, beating his man, rushing with extension, doing the things that we asked about, making plays on the screen. He was all over the field."
Hunter's 2024 season set the stage for his 2025 dominance. He finished with 12 sacks, 46 combined tackles, and 17 tackles for loss in 17 games. According to Next Gen Stats, he posted 90 quarterback pressures, the second-most in the entire NFL.
Anderson's Game-Changing Plays Show His Development
In October, Anderson Jr. delivered one of the season's most electric plays: a sack, forced fumble, and fumble recovery for a touchdown all on the same play.
"I thought Will did an awesome job of giving us an opportunity," Ryans said after the Monday night game in Seattle. "To get points in the game, to provide the team with a spark there, getting one of the best plays in football, a sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery for a touchdown. That was an outstanding play by him."
"What he's done all year is putting the team on his back, putting us in a really good position there to just create some energy, create some enthusiasm through our entire team."
Hunter's Career Performance Against Jacksonville
Hunter's production reached a crescendo earlier this month against Jacksonville: 3.5 sacks (tying a career high), seven total tackles, and one forced fumble.
The performance earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors, his third such award and first with the Texans.
"It means a lot," Hunter said after receiving the award. "I'm always going to give a shoutout to my teammates, coaches. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be able to get this award. So, doing my job and things just happened to come my way."
Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke broke down what made Hunter's performance so special: "Obviously, the sack production was there. I really just felt like his get-off and his surge in the rush was very consistent. He wasn't wasting any movement. He really had some real efficient, really elite rushes."
"Then the way he set edges in the running game. Obviously, the tackle for loss numbers and stuff really helped us snuff out a couple things on the perimeter. So, deservingly awarded that honor."
"Sometimes we joke, he had, I think, four games where he hadn't had a sack," Burke said. "Sometimes you got to see the ball go in the net and then it opens up. So, hopefully, he can keep that momentum going."
Beyond the Sack Numbers
Opposing offenses have thrown everything at Anderson Jr. and Hunter. Quick passes. Extra chips. Moving pockets. Teams know they're coming.
Yet both players continue to rack up pressures and disruptions even when sacks don't materialize.
"I think both Will and Danielle are pretty high in terms of disruption numbers and pressure numbers," Burke said. "You start chasing sacks then you get out of your lanes and bigger plays happen, so we're not really hung up on sack numbers. We're trying to disrupt the quarterback and effect the quarterbacks."
The stats back this up. Hunter's 90 quarterback pressures from last season ranked second in the entire NFL. His 17 tackles for loss ranked in the top five among AFC defenders.
Anderson has 12 solo tackles and 6 assists through nine games in 2025, along with his sack and three forced fumbles.
Burke explained the challenges they face: "I would say we see a higher number of chips, people are moving the pocket on us, the ball is getting out quick. A lot of quarterbacks we've faced have done that type of thing anyway, so just the usual tricks."
The Quiet Leader
Hunter's production speaks for itself. But his leadership in the defensive line room adds another dimension to his value.
"Danielle doesn't say much, but he says a lot about how he plays," Ryans explained. "He's consistently around the quarterback, applying pressure. I think he's done a really nice job this year of just understanding the scheme, what we're asking him to do when it comes to setting edges in the run game."
"He's one of our better edge setters in the run game, not just a pass player. You can lean to think that he's just a pass player. But he does a good job in the run game."
The veteran's impact on younger players is immeasurable.
"Overall, as a leader, what I like about him is how the other guys look up to him, especially in the defensive line room," Ryans said. "Those guys are constantly talking. He talks to those guys. He might not talk to us much, but he talks to the guys in the defensive line room, and they're all feeding off of each other."
"He's like an additional coach in the room along with Frank Okam and Rod Wright. You have Danielle in there with the wisdom that he has and a guy who, of course, he's gotten over 100 sacks in his career. It takes a special player to do that. So, we have a special guy that our guys can lean on, seek advice from and he's there to share that wisdom."
"Danielle is arguably one of the best pass rushers in the history of the game," Ryans added. "He's shown that time and time again. He's been on the tear here lately. He's done a fantastic job."
"The thing that really sets him apart is when he's exploding out the ball, he's playing with speed to power. It's tough to block, really tough to block."
Hunter ranks 5th in NFL history among active players in career sacks with 107. His 2023 season with Minnesota saw him post 16.5 sacks and 23 tackles for loss, the only player in the league to record at least 22 TFLs and 16 sacks that year.
The Philosophy
Burke summed up the relentless approach that drives both Anderson Jr. and Hunter.
"That's why we preach attack the ball, relentless, non-stop SWARM, SWARM, SWARM because you never know when the one play is when you're going to get your one-on-one."
"If you're lax in that moment and you're thinking you're going to get chipped and you don't get chipped, or I think this is going to happen and it doesn't, then you miss your opportunity."
"So, whatever opportunities we do get, we've got to make sure we capitalize on them and make sure we're throwing heat every time."
The numbers tell a clear story. Anderson Jr. and Hunter aren't just having good seasons. They're having elite ones.
Hunter: 9 sacks, 14 solo tackles, 5 assists, 2 forced fumbles. Ranked 5th among edge defenders.
Anderson: 7 sacks, 12 solo tackles, 6 assists, three forced fumbles, a pair of fumble recoveries and a touchdown. Ranked 4th in overall grade (90.8) among edge defenders. Two-time Pro Bowler. Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Together with the rest of the defensive line, they've forced opposing offenses into quick passes. Extra chips. Slide protections. They work well with each other, and they work well off the rest of the line.
The 2025 season is only halfway done. The Texans' DE duo is hungry for more.
