Houston Texans star Will Anderson Jr. got out of character.
Perhaps more importantly, the development bodes well for the Texansâ offense, as head coach DeMeco Ryans explained later.
Anderson got into a bit of a dust-up with a teammate. The altercation drew attention, causing him to do something he is infrequently seen doing. It also spoke volumes about the Texansâ much-maligned offense.
Texans Get Encouraging Sign From Will Anderson Jr. Scrap
GettyKeylan Rutledge did not back down from Will Anderson Jr.
âKeylan Rutledge and Will Anderson Jr. just got into it,â the Houston Chronicleâs Jonathan M. Alexander reported on X on August 11. âThatâs rare for Anderson.â
The reactions to the dust-up came pouring in. However, after the practice session, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans spoke candidly about his take on it, complete with a warning for his rookie first-round pick and any other players on the team considering following suit.
That is to play aggressively, but also be smart with their actions.
âBetter be careful there, messing with Will Anderson. But no, I love it. I love the scrappiness of Keylan. His mindset is what I love. Heâs not backing down from anybody, as he should. I expect that from every player on our team, and weâre not backing down from anybody. We know weâre not physically fighting, but there is always chippiness in our game,â Ryans told reporters after practice on August 11.
âItâs a tough, itâs a physical, violent game that we play, and thereâs gonna be some chippiness that goes on. But we just have to make sure weâre smart, especially in-game, where we have to make sure weâre smart and make sure weâre not that second guy to cause the team to hurt ourselves, and then Coach [himself] is going to be really upset.â
Anderson is a two-time Pro Bowler, was a First Team All-Pro in 2025, and earned Defensive Rookie of the Year.
That Rutledge mixed it up with Anderson stands out on its own merit, but it was not out of character for the rookie, with âStoots & Lockerâ host Landry Locker noting on X, âThat brings the Rutledge scuffle total up to four for camp.â
Among his battles, Rutledge has clashed with Azeez Al-Shaair and Daniell Hunter.
The Texans listed Rutledge as their starting center on their initialâand unofficialâdepth chart, underscoring that he has impressed Ryans and the coaches beyond scraps with Anderson et al.
Texans Answer Challenge
GettyDeMeco Ryans challenged the Texans, and they responded.
Ryans also addressed the Texansâ practice following what the head coach felt was a disappointing effort from the group. They held the session at Reliant Stadium in what Ryans framed as a âdress rehearsalâ for their preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Ryans called it âone of our betterâ sessions operationally. He noted that the players were âa little fired upâ after he âgot after themâ on Monday.
The Texans, Ryans also said, cannot afford or tolerate any âletdowns.â
âIt wasnât our best practice yesterday, by any means. That wasnât who we are, how we come out. That wasnât it. So, everybody needed a reminder, just of what weâre trying to achieve. What are we trying to accomplish, right? To do what weâre trying to accomplish, it takes persistent work, every single day,â Ryans said, adding, âWe canât have letdowns; we canât have setbacks. We have to continue to press forward, we have to count on guys to be relentlessly consistent in what theyâre doing and their approach every single day.
âWe took a step back. It wasnât good enough. But today, guys responded really well. All three phases did a really great job, right, making plays, doing what theyâre supposed to do. So, Iâm really proud of the work we put in today, and weâre ready to go for game day.â
Anderson has proven himself in the NFL, and Rutledge is certainly already off to an encouraging start for the Texans in that regard.
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