When the Jacksonville Jaguars gave Travon Walker a four-year deal worth $110 million, they raised eyebrows across the league. After all, he hadn't developed into the All-Pro they had expected when they drafted him first overall in 2022. Moreover, he was coming off an injury-marred season, so it was odd to see the Jags give him a multi-year extension. However, the decision looks much better in light of the news that the Houston Texans just paid defensive end Will Anderson.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Houston is giving Will Anderson a blockbuster three-year, $150 million deal with $134 million guaranteed, adding that the extension includes a rare no-trade clause. For context, no-trade clauses are mostly reserved for quarterbacks, which is why the Texans felt compelled to include one in Anderson's deal.
While Anderson is one of the best defensive ends in the NFL, there's no doubt that the Texans overpaid for him, while the Jags will be getting plenty of bang for their buck for Walker.
The Jaguars got a better deal for Travon Walker than the Texans for Will Anderson
Before Houston paid Will Anderson, Micah Parsons was the highest-paid pass rusher in the NFL, averaging $46.5 million annually. Aidan Hutchinson was No. 2 with an average of $45 million per year. Anderson blows both of them out of the water at $50 million.
From the Texans' perspective, it's understandable why they paid a premium for Anderson. He had seven sacks as a rookie and racked up a combined 23 the past two years. They must think that he's yet to reach his ceiling. And opposite Danielle Hunter, Houston has a terrifying pass rush tandem.
Having said that, the fact that the Texans paid him more than other elite pass rushers raises doubts about their roster management, as Anderson's contract could prevent them from making other big moves. Moreover, he'll be in line for a new deal in just two years, so they could keep forking out even more money.
The Jaguars need Travon Walker to bounce back
Make no mistake, a player is worth what a team is willing to pay him, and the Texans think Will Anderson deserved $50 million per year. The amount won't look nearly as bad if he turns into a perennial All-Pro, so inadvertently, Houston has raised the stakes for him.
On the other hand, the Jaguars are paying Walker $27.5 million per year, good for the 13th most among pass rushers. They're paying him nearly half of what the Texans are paying Anderson. Again, Walker isn't in the same echelon, but he's giving the Jags more bang for their buck.
If the former Georgia Bulldog can bounce back and post 10 as he did in back-to-back seasons before 2025, or even get to 12/13, he'll give Jacksonville plenty of value.
It's also worth noting that if the Jaguars had paid Walker after Houston extended Anderson, they would have probably had to fork out more money, so general manager James Gladstone made the right call when he got ahead of the curve.
When you add it all up, the Jaguars got a better deal with Travon Walker even though he's not a pass rusher of the same caliber as Will Anderson.
Add us as a preferred source on Google