Tank Dell was finding his groove as the No. 2 weapon for the Houston Texans before a gruesome leg injury sidelined him for nearly two years.
Now, he plans to be better than where he left things whenever cleared to return to the field full-time.
For the first time since December of 2024, Dell, 26, practiced on consecutive days. The progress has been limited — a few routes here and a couple of cuts there — but any sign of promise in his recovery process is a welcome one.
“Tank looks really nice out there,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Friday. “You see him being explosive. It’s good to see him in routes when they’re in individual drills. It’s getting back in the swing of not doing things on the side. It gets lonely when you’re in the return-to-football program and you’re just off to the side working with the trainers. Now to get back in with your guys and actually do football things with football guys, it’s really that big first step into the progression of getting back on the field.”
Dell missed all of 2025 after he suffered multiple torn ligaments and a dislocated kneecap after hauling in a touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud in the Texans’road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024. On the play, Dell collided with fellow receiver Jared Wayne while trying to go for the ball.
The touchdown stood, but the Texans lost more than ground in the AFC. Dell would require multiple surgeries and began an intensive rehabilitation process that took over 14 months to help him fully recover.
So far, there have been no setbacks. Dell has he believes his knee is “100 percent stable,” but he still needs to work on the little details. Trust has been one of the biggest factors in Dell’s rehabilitation.
“When [the doctors] told me that, I just came out and was putting my foot in the ground,” Dell said. “I didn’t care about it; I tried not to think about it, because during your process the mental aspect of it is the hardest thing you have to get over. If I went out there iffy about what I’m doing, then I probably would never be able to come back to what I want to be.”
The plan is for Dell to be cleared as soon as possible for game action, but the Texans aren’t willing to risk a setback just because they want to see the former speedster in live reps for the season opener against the Buffalo Bills. Dell is in full aggreance and doesn’t have a timeline for when he plans on being back at full speed.
“Right now we’re just taking it one day at a time,” Dell said. “There’s light at the end of the tunnel for sure I’ll be out there, but we’re just taking it one day at a time. That’s all we’re doing.”
Over his two active seasons with the Texans, Dell has caught 98 passes for 1,376 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s thankful for the team’s patience and belief in his recovery, but he’s now ready to be back.
“You know how I come; I’m trying to make plays. I’m trying to be a big factor on the team,” Dell said. “I know I am, I know I will be. Just trusting it and going out there and letting loose.”
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans WR Tank Dell sees ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ following long recovery
Reporting by Cole Thompson, Texans Wire / Texans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cole Thompson, Texans Wire | USA TODAY Network
