The Houston Texans spent their offseason revamping the offensive side of the ball, completely rebuilding their offensive line and wide receiver corps. One of the reasons GM Nick Caserio invested significant resources in bringing in Christian Kirk and drafting wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel is Tank Dell's injury. After a promising start to his career, Dell ended both of his seasons on the injured reserve list.
Dell's rookie campaign was cut short with a fractured fibula. His second season finished in Week 16 when he suffered a brutal injury that included a dislocated knee and multiple torn ligaments. As a result, he had to undergo two surgeries in the offseason, the most recent one on March 5. He is expected to miss the entirety of 2025 season.
Despite the unlucky start to his NFL career, Dell remains focused. On Friday, he shared a message on social media that highlighted his attitude. He said that he may be "delayed but not denied", promising that he will be back.
Delayed but not denied🙏🏽 say what you want I’ll be back. pic.twitter.com/R5DizlTz4W
— Flash1x⚡️ (@Tankdell4) May 2, 2025
This is the perfect attitude the 25-year-old needs to get back on the field.
This is also in line with what Caserio had said a few weeks ago about Dell's approach. Texans GM had said that Dell "had a good attitude" and has been "in good spirits, working hard."
At the same time, the Texans have shied away from providing a timeline for Dell's return. While many expect him to be out for the entire season, Dell hasn't been ruled out yet.
The Texans have obviously prepared for the worst and spent two of their first three draft picks on wide receivers. While Houston expects to take a step forward next season with the WR upgrades, they would love to have Dell back as soon as possible.