In fairness, the announcement of Houston Texans edge rusher Danielle Hunter being named AFC Defensive Player of the Week is more of a formality than it is a reveal. Anyone who saw Hunter's performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars could've guessed that the 31-year-old veteran would earn this distinction, even without knowing what any other defensive player in the AFC put forth.
But even still, it's only appropriate that Hunter, who twice won Defensive Player of the Week as a member of the Minnesota Vikings in 2018 and 2019, got the official announcement for his first time winning the award in the AFC.
Let’s be real…he's really like that 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/g08rm1fQEC
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 12, 2025
In a 36-29 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Hunter was an absolute menace all afternoon, notching 3.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 7 total tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 8 pressures and 4 QB hits in a game that the Texans absolutely had to win in order to keep their postseason hopes alive. It was such a dominant performance, it prompted Texans center Jake Andrews to make an extra-terrestrial comparison when talking about the way Hunter played.
“Did you expect anything less? I mean, the guys a monster! Have you seen him? He’s a mutant, man,"Andrews told reporters after the game. "He's obviously played this long for a good reason, and he still produces like he's a young buck. He's awesome. He's awesome to have in the locker room, he's a great guy. Really happy for him."
"Danielle was exploding off the ball, playing violent, not slowing down," Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans added. To allow Hunter, who is under contract with the Texans through the 2026 season, to explode off the ball and play violent, it's as simple as letting him do what he does best... relentlessly get after the quarterback without thinking of much else.
“He’ll always say to me, ‘Man, let me cook, let me cook,” Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke said of Hunter.
Last Sunday, Hunter cooked up a Michelin Star meal in front of 70,000 fans at NRG Stadium AND J.J. Watt, a Texans great turned CBS announcer who was on the call for the game and has a team record 7 AFC Defensive Player of the Week awards to his name. It was a masterpiece of a game that could end up sparking a second half of the season run that gets Houston right back into the AFC Playoff picture.
The other recipients of Week 10's Player of the Week honors are Jonathan Taylor (AFC Offensive Player of the Week, 32 attempts, 244 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns), Jahmyr Gibbs (NFC Offensive Player of the Week, 15 carries, 142 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns), and DeMarcus Lawrence (NFC Defensive Player of the Week, 4 tackles, 0.5 sack, 2 fumble returns for touchdowns).