Texans’ Tank Dell stands firm despite a major setback on his rehab

Texans' Tank Dell tore his ACL during a week 16 loss against the Chiefs in 2024, and it will keep him out for the entire 2025 season.

Texans’ Tank Dell stands firm despite a major setback on his rehab

Tank Dell (Image via IMAGO)

Tank Dell faces another setback in his rehab journey. The Houston Texans’ rising star wide receiver will keep him out of the 2025 NFL season as he recovers from a serious knee injury.

In the week 16 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs last season, Dell hurt his ligament after colliding with receiver Jared Wayne and Chiefs safety Trent McDuffie. The doctors reported that Dell had a fractured fibula, multiple torn ligaments, and meniscus damage.

The injury cut short Dell’s year. Quarterback CJ Stroud was devastated because it was his pass that ended his friend’s year.

The second-year wideout underwent surgery to fix his knee in March 2025. It takes nearly twelve months to completely recover from such a surgery. This means Dell is likely to miss the 2025 NFL season as well.

[Tank] Dell will more than likely miss the 2025 season and be placed on the physically unable to perform list, given the nature of his knee injury and the timing of his ACL surgery, which took place just two months ago. The timetable for ACL injuries is typically six to 12 months. Dell also dislocated his knee, tore other ligaments, and damaged his meniscus.

Jonathan Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reported

The recovery timeline may have been pushed back, but Dell remains steadfast. He put out a tweet to reassure his fans that he will be back better than ever after the rehab is complete.

Delayed but not denied… say what you want I’ll be back.

Tank Dell tweeted

What measures did the Texans take to cover for Tank Dell’s absence in the 2025 season?

It was General Manager Nick Caserio who brought Dell to Houston. Draft gurus projected him as a mid- to late second-rounder. Many view his fall to the third round as a fortunate development for the Texans. It definitely paid off.

Texans' Tank Dell stands firm despite a major setback on his rehab
Tank Dell (Image via IMAGO)

His rookie year ended with 700+ yards and 7 touchdowns. The injury restricted him to only 14 games the following season and will keep him out for the entire 2025 campaign.

Caserio went to work, identifying possible stand-ins for Dell. The Texans drafted wide receiver Jayden Higgins at 34 overall and Jaylin Noel at 79. It took a lot of people by surprise. Both Higgins and Noel played for the same school, the Iowa State Hawkeyes.

When asked the reason behind the two players, both receivers and from the same school, Caserio claimed they possess different sets of skills, which could come in handy for the Texans.

Caserio praised Noel’s versatility. He plays smartly in the slot and functions equally well as a returner. Higgins, on the other hand, is a traditional receiver with strong route-running skills.

By adding two receivers, the Texans loaded the offense for Stroud. They currently have 12 receivers on their 90-man roster: Nico Collins, Christian Kirk, Higgins, Noel, Dell, Justin Watson, Xavier Hutchinson, John Metchie III, Jared Wayne, Braxton Berrios, Johnny Johnson III, and Xavier Johnson.

Collins made the Pro Bowl for the first time in his NFL career, despite playing just 12 games in 2024. He racked up 1000+ yards and seven touchdowns along with an additional 200+ yards in the postseason.

The Texans traded for Kirk from the Jacksonville Jaguars in the offseason. Another player whose last campaign was cut short due to injury. A broken collarbone limited him to just seven starts. The Jaguars received a seventh-round pick in the trade.

It’s the same story for Berrios as well. Berrios was part of the Miami Dolphins and mostly appeared on special teams before suffering a torn ACL. He signed a one-year conditional contract with the Texans.

Head coach DeMeco Ryans has a tough task to cut down the receivers to just six bodies during the roster cuts in August. Tank Dell will be on the IR, so he doesn’t have to worry about it too much. He should focus on finishing his rehab.

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