The Houston Texans’ offense has struggled for much of the season, and they were fortunate to come away with a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, largely thanks to a strong defensive performance.
Offensively, the Texans are still shorthanded. Tank Dell has yet to play a snap this season as he continues to recover from last year’s injury. On top of that, Nico Collins is unavailable for today’s game against the New England Patriots after suffering a concussion last week.
When Will Tank Dell Return?
Dell suffered a devastating knee injury last season against the Kansas City Chiefs, tearing his left ACL and MCL while also dislocating his kneecap. That injury came after he had already fractured the fibula in the same leg during his rookie season, compounding the severity of his recovery process.
In November, practice footage showed Dell catching passes, which marked a positive step forward. However, he was not running full routes or taking part in individual drills. Unfortunately, he has not yet progressed to individual work, suggesting that Dell is not yet cleared for the movement demands of live NFL action.
Given the typical recovery timeline for combined ACL and MCL reconstruction along with patellar realignment, extended rehab, conditioning, and functional testing are usually required before clearance. Based on his current level of practice participation and the medical timeline, the most realistic outlook is that Dell returns at full strength closer to the 2026 season, unless his recovery accelerates significantly.
Before getting hurt, Dell recorded 47 receptions for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in his rookie season and 51 receptions for 667 yards and three touchdowns in his second season.
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During his absence and after Stefon Diggs left in free agency, the Houston Texans have adjusted their receiver rotation. Collins and Christian Kirk have led the group, with rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel contributing in complementary roles.
According to PFSN’s Offense Impact Metric, Houston’s offense is ranked #23 in the league, and they desperately need Dell back on the field to help C.J. Stroud.
Houston Texans’ Stats and Insights for Divisional Round
Playoff: Houston has seven all-time postseason wins, five of which have been by at least 13 points. Six of the franchise’s eight postseason losses have been by at least 13 points.
​Team: All five of Houston’s losses have been in one-score games, including the first three weeks of the season. The Texans are 7-5 in one-score games.
​QB: C.J. Stroud was sacked three times against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card game after being sacked one time in the final four weeks. Including playoffs, Stroud has now been sacked 26 times this season after 101 sacks in his first two seasons.
​OFF: Over the last ten games, the Texans have averaged 26.6 points per game, which is eighth in the NFL in that stretch. In the first eight games, Houston averaged 21.0 points per game, which ranked 24th at the time.
​DEF: Houston returned a fumble and an interception for touchdowns in the fourth quarter against the Steelers. The two fourth-quarter turnovers matched the Texans’ regular-season total, when they led the NFL with 15 fourth-quarter turnovers.
