The Houston Texans' Week 13 preparation carried promising news with C.J. Stroud practicing in full, signaling progress in his return plan after his own recent injury. But that upward tone ran into a midweek speed bump on Thursday when Will Anderson Jr. appeared on the Texans’ injury report as a non-participant.
The Texans released their second official practice report of the week, where Anderson was formally marked as DNP (did not practice) due to a chest injury.
“Encouraging that C.J. Stroud and Jalen Pitre were full participants, which likely means they’ll clear protocol. A little discouraging to see Will Anderson Jr. (chest) not practicing on a Thursday,” Jonathan M. Alexander of Houston Chronicle posted on X, formerly Twitter.
The Colts, Texans, and Jaguars are all operating inside a tight AFC South win column cluster, and losing a key defensive engine, even temporarily, could shift competitive balance.
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Anderson, now in year three of his rookie deal, is producing one of the most disruptive defensive seasons in franchise history. His partnership with Danielle Hunter has powered a defensive front many evaluators consider a top-three pass-rush unit this year.
This matchup ahead amplifies the anxiety, as the Colts (8-3), fresh off an overtime defeat in Kansas City, return home hoping to correct direction against a Texans squad riding a three-game win streak, including a 23-19 victory over Buffalo last week.
Sunday is about standings, and the weeks after are about futures. If Anderson suits up, it keeps Houston’s push steady. If he doesn’t, it forces the Texans into their most uncomfortable depth chart stress test of the season.