Tank Dell Takes Another Step in Injury Recovery at Texans Training Camp

The Houston Texans have gradually been rolling out wide receiver Tank Dell into training camp practice as the team has gotten closer and closer to the start of the 2026 regular season.

Earlier last week, the Texans had thrown Dell into individual drills with pads on for the first time in his injury recovery, and got nothing but good reviews for his time participating in those.

And now, Dell is back to performing in team drills, based on the Texans' latest training camp practice on Monday, where the wideout was back in pads and in team drills for the first time since the team has been back on the field from late July.

Tank “Toe Tap” Dell pic.twitter.com/8V46cfbmKm
— Chancellor Johnson (@ChancellorTV) August 10, 2026

Dell was catching passes from C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills in both team drills and within red zone work, and continued to look good in the reps that he got.

Dell has been busy working back to full speed within Texans' practice throughout the past two weeks as the team has brought him along slowly in a ramp-up period that now seems to have taken him to team practice sessions, which he hadn't been participating in previously at the start of camp.

Tank Dell's Return Continues to Get More Real

Dell's return to padded practice comes just a few days ahead of the Texans' first preseason game of the year, which lies on Thursday against the LA Chargers in Houston. And as for Dell's status for that game, it still feels more unlikely than not that he will be lacing up for that showing.

Knowing how careful and cautious the Texans have been with Dell upon his return through the past several weeks and months, rushing him into the motions of practice and then into a full-speed preseason game feels like it'd be a big jump, based on how Houston's been operating with him.

Jul 30, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (1) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There's really not even a guarantee that Dell is ready to go for the first game of the regular season vs. the Buffalo Bills. Houston has remained consistent with their desire to bring their wideout along at whatever pace necessary to ensure he's back to 100%, and if that takes into September to get Dell up to speed, a Week 1 absence could be in the cards.

However, knowing that Dell has the pads on and is in more contact-heavy situations in team drills, his return to play certainly becomes a little more real. Dell hasn't been on an NFL field since initially suffering his knee injury, which included damage to his ACL, MCL, LCL, and meniscus in December of 2024.

And when he is healthy and catching passes from C.J. Stroud, this Texans offense can be a whole lot more explosive as a result. Dell, in the two seasons and 25 games he's played with Houston, has combined for 98 receptions, 1,376 yards, and 10 touchdowns throughout.

So far in camp, especially now that the pads have come on, Dell's showing all of the right strides that he'll be back on the field in due time. And if he's able to get back to that same level he was pre-injury, he'll have the opportunity of making a significant impact on the offensive end.

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