Texans Announce Refreshing Injury Update on Tank Dell

Throughout the course of the Houston Texans' 2025 season, they were without the presence of one key component on their offensive side of the ball, slot wide receiver Tank Dell, who was sidelined for the entire year due to the extensive leg injury he suffered on the tail end of his 2024 campaign, and has thus left him rehabbing and working to get to 100% behind the scenes since.

Going down with the injury against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 14 of the 2024 NFL season, Dell had to have his ACL, LCL, and MCL repaired that would force him to miss over a year's worth of time.

In the end, the injury led Dell to miss the entire 2025 season following up on a productive second year in the mix–– but it not only seems like the Texans' young wideout will be healthy for 2026, but he even put together a late effort for an attempted return at the end of their most recent campaign, according to head coach DeMeco Ryans.

"It's very tough," Ryans said of Dell's injury. "Tank had such a significant injury. He was battling, trying to get back. He was working really hard and trying to get back at the end of this past season. It just didn't work out that way... He's shown up every day with a smile and a great attitude," Ryans said. "I'm excited to see him back out on the field next year."

Tank Dell Gearing Up for Return in 2026

It's good news to come from the Texans' facility regarding the status of their 26-year-old receiver. While his recovery status during the season had remained a bit cloudy throughout, the expectation now seems to be that Dell will be back on the field and catching passes from C.J. Stroud come next season.

During his 25 career games with the Texans over two years, Dell has collected 98 receptions, 1,376 yards through the air, along with ten total touchdowns––including seven of those that came during his electric rookie season, and stands as Houston's franchise record for most receiving touchdowns in a rookie season.

Sep 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell talks on the sideine during the game between the Houston Cougars and the Colorado Buffaloes at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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For a Texans wide receiver group that seemed to only get better as this season went on, having Dell's addition to factor into Stroud's arsenal as well will make this core even better, providing a quality asset to have over the middle, in the slot, and someone that has the ability to make big plays in the passing game next to the likes of Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, and Jaylin Noel.

Of course, it'll likely be until closer to this summer's OTAs and training camp before getting extended information on what Dell's return to play looks like, and any timeline that may come with it. And once that time comes, there's a real chance it'll take some time for Houston's wideout to return to 100%.

However, at the very least, Ryans comments make it apparent that we'll be in to see the 2023 third-round pick back out there once the next NFL season arrives, which will inevitably be his first time on an NFL field since December 2024.

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