Tank Dell is back.
The Houston Texans wide receiver will take the field on Sunday for their matchup with the New York Giants, head coach DeMeco Ryans confirmed on Monday. It will mark Dell’s first game back since he went down with a gruesome knee injury in 2024.
Dell caught a deep pass from quarterback C.J. Stroud in a matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs in December 2024. But as Dell was bringing the ball in, teammate Jared Wayne dove for the ball too and accidentally crashed into Dell’s left knee. Dell made the catch, and completed the 30-yard touchdown, but the injury was gruesome.
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He had to be driven off the field on a stretcher in what was a very emotional scene at Arrowhead Stadium. He remained in a Kansas City-area hospital overnight, and returned to Houston the next day.
Dell ended up tearing multiple ligaments, sustained meniscus damage and dislocated his left knee in the incident. It knocked him out of the entire 2025 campaign, and he’s been recovering ever since.
The injury was just the latest significant one that Dell has already faced in his career. His rookie season was cut short after he fractured his fibula just 11 games in, and he was then shot in the leg as a bystander at a mass shooting in Florida in 2024. Dell recovered from both injuries in time to start the 2024 campaign normally.
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Dell had 667 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 14 games during the 2024 campaign. The Texans selected him in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Houston.
Dell will rejoin the Texans at a critical time for the organization this season, too. After losing four straight to start the year, they’ve now won back-to-back contests entering Sunday’s matchup with the Giants at NRG Stadium. They most recently rallied to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday.
Though it’s unclear if Dell will be able to compete at the same level he was at previously, considering how significant his knee injury and rehab actually was, he’s finally ready to get back out onto the field. The next part of his playing career is here.
