Entering the season, the Houston Texans seemed ready to take the next step toward contending. However, a porous offensive line and multiple injuries to their star wide receivers have left the team a little shy of expectations. The most recent (and most gruesome) of those injuries came at the worst possible time for Houston.
With the postseason just two weeks away, the Texans lost Tank Dell to a devastating injury. Let’s examine what happened to the sophomore wideout, how long he’ll be out, and more.
What Is Tank Dell’s Injury?
The Texans were locked in a back-and-forth matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16. While the Chiefs had the lead, Houston was starting to chip away at it, and a near 35-yard bomb from C.J. Stroud to Dell in the end zone felt like a momentum shifter.
Dell soared to catch the pass and, despite multiple hits, came down with the ball, scoring a touchdown. However, he immediately clutched his left knee, which got tangled up with teammate Jared Wayne. His teammates knew something was off right away.
Soon, the entire team had gathered around Dell as he was helped off the field on a cart. Stroud was visibly distraught, and head coach DeMeco Ryans had to console him.
Eventually, Ryan revealed that Dell’s diagnosis was a dislocated kneecap and torn ACL. However, on Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reported that Dell also tore his medial collateral and lateral collateral ligaments as well as damaging his meniscus.
When Will Dell Return?
Dell has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. And given the timing of the injury and the lengthy recovery process, it’s looking like he might not play in the 2025 season either.
Dell playing in 2025 “is regarded as an extremely unlikely scenario,” according to Wilson. He added that Dell will need multiple surgeries and has “a long, grueling road of recovery ahead of him.”
Former NFL team doctor David Chao and owner of Sports Injury Central believes the injury is potentially career-threatening.
“This is a much more difficult recovery than just an ACL, it’s a knee dislocation with three of four major ligaments torn and it’s a long road back,” Dr. Chao told KPRC 2. “Unfortunately, it has to be considered career-threatening, but we all hope not career-ending. Surgery is usually staged with this severe an injury. Whatever you can repair, you repair now, the MCL and LCL. The ACL is typically a reconstruction and you delay that until later when swelling goes down and there’s more mobility.
“A typical recovery timetable, it would be great if he could participate at some point next season, but it’s far from guaranteed he will play at any point next season. It’s similar to what happened with Browns running back Nick Chubb. They’re both knee dislocations, but not all knee dislocations are the same. This is a much more complicated surgery process than an isolated ACL and, as such, it’s going to be multiple surgeries and lots of follow-up. As much as this is a devastating injury, Nick Chubb did return to play his next season. Let’s hope for a similar good outcome for Tank Dell.”
While he has only been in the NFL for two seasons, the young wide receiver has already had to deal with a ton of adversity. His fantastic rookie season ended prematurely when he suffered a fractured fibula, causing him to miss Houston’s postseason run.
Then, as if the injury itself wasn’t enough, Dell was also a victim of a Florida shooting last offseason. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time and suffered a flesh wound in his leg as a result of the shooting.
Now, on the heels of a difficult 12 months, he’s dealing with his toughest obstacle yet.
How Did Dell Perform in the 2024 Season?
For vast stretches this season, the Texans have been without several of their receiving weapons. Prized offseason acquisition Stefon Diggs went down with a torn ACL early in the year, while Nico Collins had to miss a chunk of the year as well due to a hamstring injury.
With both wide receivers on injured reserve, Dell had to emerge as the Texans’ WR1. The youngster stepped up and took on more responsibilities.
While Dell wasn’t as prolific as last season’s incredible rookie campaign, he still produced, finishing the season with 51 receptions for 667 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games.
Dell helped lift the Texans while they were without Collins and Diggs, helping them clinch a playoff spot. Houston won the AFC South and is currently 9-6.