Although there's no way to know for certain, you'd have to imagine that one of the most easy-going coaches in the National Football League has to be Houston Texans defensive line coach Rod Wright.
This isn't to say that Rod Wright's job isn't demanding or stressful, nor am I trying to assert that there isn't a tremendous amount of work that the Houston, Texas native does on a daily basis to ensure that his position group is doing their part in keeping the Texans defense at the top of the NFL. However, knowing that you have not one, but two terrifying All-Pro edge rushers to deploy as you please would have to make the stress of one's job just a little more manageable.
For as long as Rod Wright has been in Houston, Will Anderson Jr. has been too. Anderson, the 3rd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, made an immediate impact upon his arrival in Houston, earning Defensive Rookie of the Year for his efforts during the 2023 season, and even more impressive, steadily improving ever since he arrived.
This season, Anderson finished with the second-most quarterback pressures in the NFL (85) and the third-highest pressure rate (20.5%) while also setting the NFL record for most third-down pressures (48) in a single season in the Next Gen Stats era.
It's been this maniacal relentlessness on every single play that has earned Anderson the nickname "The Terminator."
“I mean, the Terminator is just how Will is: hit everything, destroy everything, the destroyer. The guy, just the physicality that he plays with, his motor. He’s a joy to have in the building," Rod Wright told Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Houston. "Obviously, you’ve seen him get really serious, but behind closed doors with us, man, it’s never a light moment with him. There’s always something going on. If it’s quiet, he’s going to be the guy to get us going, laugh and all that stuff. But also when it’s time to lock in, he’ll lock in.”
Although Anderson is clearly talented and driven enough to make an impact on a down to down basis even without a pass-rushing counterpart on the opposite side of the defensive line, he benefits from playing alongside Danielle Hunter, an NFL veteran who already has over 110 career sacks and doesn't look to be slowing down.
The player affectionately known as 'Cyborg' posted 15 sacks this season, the third-most sacks by a player in their 10th NFL season. It's the fourth season in Hunter's career in which he ended the campaign with at least 14 sacks.
“Cyborg, man, he’s also physical and relentless, but a little bit more methodical, a little bit more unorthodox. Hard to guess what he’s going to do from play to play when it comes to rushing," Wright said of Hunter. “With D-Hunt, he’s been there, done that. Seen it all, doesn’t overreact to anything. Very calm demeanor, kind of the Yin and Yang type of deal. Both have a presence about them, but it’s very different."
Hunter and Anderson may be different in a lot of ways, but the end result is often the same... a quarterback running for his life, being hunted -- and often, taken to the ground -- by either a Terminator or a Cyborg.
The Texans defense is one with a variety of noteworthy nicknames, from Sting (Derek Stingley Jr.) to The Locksmith (Kamari Lassiter) to Superglue (Calen Bullock) to Touchdown Tommy (Tommy Togiai), but don't get it twisted and start to think this is just some collection of mercernaries, thrown together haphazardly like they're the Suicide Squad.
No, the strength of the Texans defense is that despite all of these players with star potential and eye-catching nicknames, it's a unit that prides itself on playing together and for each other.
Togetherness is the Super Power of the Houston Texans defense
“I think we have a special, close group,” defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins said of Houston's defense this week, per Chris Bumbaca of USA Today. “I think I’ve been a part of some special groups, but the closeness hasn’t always been to this level. It almost, to a degree – especially with how many younger playmakers we have, it almost has a college-esque feel.”
This echoes a sentiment shared earlier in the season by linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who compared this Texans squad to a high school team in terms of their togetherness.
“The best way I can describe it is like when you were playing high school football with your guys. That’s the best way I can describe how it feels out there. Every day, whether it’s at practice or the meetings, it just feels fun," Al-Shaair said after Houston punched their ticket to the Playoffs.
This level of commitment and closeness to your teammates may seem like a superficial feature touted by any team with Super Bowl ambitions, but to a man, the Texans swear by it, and it genuinely seems like it's fueled what has been the league's best defense throughout much of the 2025 season.
“I think that camaraderie, that togetherness that we have throughout the building, throughout the locker room, definitely spills over," Rankins explained. "It allows us to just go out there and play for each other, but play fast while doing it."
“When we go out there, we got that confidence, nothing can hold us back," Calen Bullock added. “That’s our mindset: we’re the best defense.”