Tank Dell returns to the field this Sunday after suffering a devastating knee injury in the 2024 season.
Dell tore multiple ligaments and sustained meniscus damage and a dislocated kneecap. He spent the next 22 months recovering.
Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans announced at his press conference Monday that Dell would appear in the Texans’ Week 7 matchup against the New York Giants.
“Tank has done an outstanding job these past two weeks of practicing,” Ryans said. “So we are all excited, and we’ll see Tank out there on Sunday versus the Giants.”
The Houston Texans drafted Dell out of the University of Houston in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Despite being undersized (listed at 5-foot-8 3/8 inches and 165 pounds during the pre-draft process), he quickly became a mainstay of the Texans offense. He appeared in 11 games as a rookie, catching 47 passes for 709 yards and 7 touchdowns; good for second on the team in receiving. A fractured fibula cut his season short.
In 2024, Dell appeared in 14 games and was once again second on the team in receiving with 51 catches for 667 yards and 3 touchdowns. In the Texans’ Week 16 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, Dell and fellow wideout Jared Wayne both went vertical downfield.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud uncorked a deep shot to the endzone, which Dell caught, but he collided with Wayne’s helmet and shoulder while falling to the ground. His left knee was badly bent, and he was carted off the field and hospitalized.
Dell’s injury was catastrophic: he suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and LCL; damage to his meniscus; and a dislocated patella. After missing the entire 2025 season, he joined the team for a few practices during training camp. The Texans officially opened his 21-day practice window on Oct. 6.
“As we all know, Tank is an explosive player. He’s still quick as ever. Ask our defenders who [were] covering him the past couple of weeks. He’s been putting us in some tough matchups in practice the past two weeks,” Ryans said.
“So, I expect him to go out on Sunday and do the same thing, right? Really stress defenders. And that’s what Tank is going to do with his speed, his playmaking ability. He’s going to stress defenders, and you add him in the mix with all of the other guys that we have.”
Dell’s return makes the wide receiver room even more crowded.
Nico Collins has been Houston’s leading receiver for the past three years; Jaylin Noel is an emerging talent in his second year; the Texans traded for Marvin Harrison Jr. from the Arizona Cardinals last week; veterans Kayshon Boutte and Xavier Hutchinson round out the depth chart.
Ryans said he did not want to set outsized expectations for Dell’s return.
“I expect Tank just to be himself and just play the offense the right way,” he said.
“No huge expectations from what he needs to do. We’re all just going to be excited. I know me personally, I’m just going to be excited to see him just out there for the first time in over two years getting some game action. So, I’m just thankful, grateful for him to have this opportunity to return … I’m just happy to see him out there, and that’s the only thing that matters.”
