Washington Redskins linebacker Ryan Anderson knows he has a lot at stake in 2019.
Anderson watched as the Redskins lost names like Preston Smith over the offseason, then turned around and added a high-profile pass rusher like Montez Sweat by trading back up into the first round.
He knows the pressure is now all the way up.
“I would say it’s do or die for me,” Anderson said, according to Redskins.com. “But at the same time, I’m excited about the guys in the room. And I’m helping them and they’re helping me and pushing me and we’re making each other better.”
Since joining the team via the second round in 2017, Anderson has only tallied two sacks while missing five games.
Granted, Anderson still checks the “Alabama” box the Redskins love so much and he’ll step into a bigger role in his third season merely from the standpoint of helping someone like Sweat along.
But Anderson is right to start feeling some heat given his experience too, especially as he’s only under contract through the 2020 season. The Redskins wouldn’t mind if he makes the coaching staff’s life a bit more difficult by making a big third-year leap.
