Texans WR Tank Dell Gets New Timeline for His Return From Injury

It's been around a year and a half since the Houston Texans last saw Tank Dell on an NFL field.

Following his devastating leg injury at the end of the 2024 season against the Kansas City Chiefs––resulting in a torn ACL, MCL, PCL, and meniscus––Dell has since been forced to the sidelines.

He was held out for the entire 2025 season, has continued his lengthy absence without fully practicing at Texans OTAs, and has thus led to even further questions about when Houston's explosive wideout will truly be back and ready to go.

And it seems like that time for Dell to get back in action–– while it still might be a few weeks away–– is creeping right around the corner.

Tank Dell Set to Return at Texans' Training Camp?

Texans general manager Nick Caserio recently spoke about the projected timeline in place for Dell's recovery and when he might be back on the field during an interview with SportsRadio 610, where he alluded to training camp being the time to watch for him to be back and fully participating in practice.

"Yes, I would say more than likely, it'll probably be in training camp," Caserio said about Dell's recovery. "There's certain things that he's able to do. He's done some things on the field, maybe separately off to the side. I think the goal is training camp. So, we'll see if he stays on schedule."

For those eager to see the Texans wideout back in the mix, it means they'll be forced to wait just a little longer to see the explosive playmaker back at full capacity.

That feeling of anticipation is also in play for Dell himself, considering Caserio says that the Texans receiver is "chomping at the bit" to get back on the field and fully practicing, but also emphasizes the team's desire to take care of him and his long-term health in the best way possible.

"Nobody's worked harder, nobody's had a better attitude. Talking about a player that hasn't played football in, call it almost 18 months, or however long it's been. But, his attitude, his approach, he's chomping at the bit. And he's certainly anxious, and wants to be out there."

"By the same token, we wanna make sure that we're taking care of him and doing the right things and put him in a position where he can go out there and be the best version of himself. So I would say training camp seems like a reasonable time frame in terms of his availability, in terms of next steps."

Dell Can Bring Welcomed Spark to 2026 Texans

During his two years with the Texans so far, Dell has played in 25 games to make his mark as one of the more electric wide receivers Houston's had in the past few seasons.

He's logged a total of 98 receptions, 1,376 yards, and 10 touchdowns throughout that two-year stretch. Since 2023, only two Texans pass-catchers have logged more yards: Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz.

Oct 6, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (3) is introduced before the game against the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

When healthy, he's been one of C.J. Stroud's favorite targets, and will have a good chance to reclaim that role in the offense once he's back to 100%.

Whenever Dell is finally back in the fold for Houston, it's sure to make this intriguing group of weaons look even more appealing; one that includes Collins and Schultz, along with two budding second-year wideouts in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel.

We'll likely have more intel surrounding Dell's workload and just how much the Texans will be ramping things up in terms of his practice reps once training camp creeps close. But at the very least, it seems like his return is right on the horizon.

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