Late last season, the Houston Texans were dealt a significant blow to their offense as standout wide receiver Tank Dell suffered a horrific season-ending knee injury in Week 16 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The young wide receiver sustained a torn ACL, MCL, and LCL, and dislocated his left knee. It was the second-straight year that Dell had his season end prematurely by injury. As a rookie in 2023, he suffered a fractured fibula, which put him on the shelf for the rest of the year.
The last update we heard about Dell was from Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, who said at the NFL Scouting Combine in late February that the young receiver is in a good mental state, but added, “It’s far too soon to have any timetable on a possible return.”
On Wednesday, Texans fans received a new update on the young playmaker from general manager Nick Caserio, who spoke to the media at NRG Stadium ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.
According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC-2, Caserio said Dell is “making progress,” but they are not trying to put any timetables on his return. Houston is also optimistic about Dell’s recovery as he’s already off crutches.
"Making progress, Caserio said via Aaron Wilson. Try not to put any timetables on it because none of us are doctors, I’m certainly not smart enough to be a doctor. So, when they’re ready, they’re ready. Once they give us the information, then we’ll adjust accordingly."
After gruesome knee injury, two surgeries, including ACL, MCL, LCL repairs, #Texans Tank Dell 'making progress,' timetable for return remains cloudy @KPRC2 https://t.co/YCYC7fTpL0
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 16, 2025
Wilson also reports that the former University of Houston standout is expected to miss the 2025 season but is also expected to make a full recovery.
Given the severity and nature of Dell’s injury, which saw him undergo two surgeries, it makes sense why the Texans traded for Christian Kirk last month, who could step into that WR2 role and give them valuable reps in the slot.
That said, Houston will miss Dell’s playmaking ability to create explosive plays this upcoming season. Last season, before the knee injury, the young wideout had 51 receptions (81 targets) for 667 yards and three touchdowns. In his first two years in the league, Dell averaged 14 yards per reception.