Texans' DeMeco Ryans Addresses Whether Tank Dell Will Play in Preseason

Will the Houston Texans wideout be on the field for preseason?

Aug 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (1) walks on the sideline during the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Houston Texans have slowly been working wide receiver Tank Dell back into team practice at training camp through the past two weeks.

And so far, Dell looks great. He's been able to participate in team drills and padded practice alongside his individual work, making his return to the field for the first time since his 2024 knee injury more and more real by the day.

But the Texans still have two matchups of their three-game preseason slate on the horizon. They play against the Las Vegas Raiders this Thursday, then take on the Carolina Panthers on the road next Friday.

Those two games could be perfect opportunities for Dell to get back into a live game setting, if Houston feels he's ready to be activated.

What DeMeco Ryans Said About Tank Dell's Preseason Availability

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, during a recent appearance on Sirius XM NFL Radio, hinted at the possibility that Dell could be activated in one of their upcoming preseason games.

"We've taken our time to kind of ramp him up slowly," Ryans said. "So the first week, he was just on the side still working with some individual stuff... And now, this past week, he got into routes on air. He got into group install. And yesterday, for the first time, he was able to get into team drills... It's beautiful to watch."

“It's just a great moment for a kid who went through such a devastating injury, and now to see him rebound, to know how much time he's put in. Man, I'm proud of him. We'll keep giving him a little bit more every day. Planning for him to, hopefully, get out there in one of these preseason games coming up, and we'll be ready to go for the season."

DeMeco Ryans on Tank Dell on @SiriusXMNFL last week says he’s got his vote for comeback player of the year & hopes to get him in a preseason game & that he highlighted him in a team meeting.” 👀 pic.twitter.com/swDYCMSxgC

— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) August 17, 2026

Ryans didn't get into any specifics about which game that might be, or if he could be active for both of them. But he certainly made it clear that he was proud of the progress that Dell has made throughout his entire lengthy, but diligent rehab process, and that a return in a preseason game was imminent.

Tank Dell Looks Likely to Play in Texans' Preseason

Dell hasn't been on an NFL field for a game since he went down with his devastating knee injury in the Texans game against the Kansas City Chiefs in December of 2024. He suffered damage to his ACL, MCL, LCL, meniscus, and kneecap, and missed the rest of that season, along with the 2025 season because of it.

But now, nearly 20 months since the injury first happened, and a ton of work on Dell's behalf to get back to 100%, his return to the grass is right around the corner. In a little under a month, he could be deemed ready to go for the Texans' home opener against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1.

Before it becomes official in a regular season game, though, a preseason outing can be a chance for Dell to get his feet wet in an exhibition setting and get a sense of what real game speed will look like, as opposed to practice. If he looks good there, then finding a role in Week 1 might be the next step.

We'll see in due time if the Texans will actually clear Dell to play against the Raiders on Thursday, and if not, in Carolina next week. Yet, based on Ryans' tone when talking about his wide receiver, it seems like a real possibility we could see him play sooner rather than later.

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