The Houston Texans placed wide receiver Tank Dell on injured reserve with a designation to return Sunday, delaying the playmaker’s long-awaited comeback from a multi-ligament knee injury that has kept him off the field since December 2024.
Dell will miss at least the first four games of the 2026 season under NFL rules. The move, first reported by Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle and confirmed by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, gives the 26-year-old additional time to rebuild strength and timing after more than 20 months of rehabilitation.
The injury occurred Dec. 21, 2024, in a Week 16 game at Kansas City. Dell caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from quarterback C.J. Stroud, then collided with a teammate in the end zone. He dislocated his left knee and tore the ACL, MCL and LCL while also damaging the meniscus.
Two surgeries followed, including an ACL reconstruction in March 2025 performed by Dr. Walter Lowe. Dell missed the entire 2025 season after being placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list.
Optimism rose this summer when Dell was left off the training-camp PUP list. He progressed from individual drills in pads to some team work, but he never appeared in a preseason game. Coach DeMeco Ryans repeatedly said Dell was on his own timeline and that the staff would not rush him.
“With Tank, he’s on his own plan,” Ryans said earlier this month. “Whatever that entails, geared toward what’s best for Tank Dell.”
The Texans open the regular season Sept. 13 against the Buffalo Bills. Dell would be eligible to return no sooner than Week 5. Alexander noted the designation “gives him enough time to get acclimated.”
Before the injury, Dell had already proven himself one of Houston’s most dangerous weapons. In 25 career games he has 98 receptions for 1,376 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 14.0 yards per catch.
As a rookie in 2023 he posted 47 catches for 709 yards and seven scores in only 11 games, a 15.1-yard average. In 2024 he added 51 receptions for 667 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games before the season-ending play.
Those numbers underscored the burst that made Dell a third-round steal. Houston selected him 69th overall in the 2023 draft after a prolific college career with the Cougars.
In 2021 he recorded 90 receptions for 1,329 yards and 12 touchdowns. The following season he led the nation with 1,398 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns on 109 catches. Combined with earlier stops at Alabama A&M and Independence Community College, Dell finished his college career with 292 receptions for 4,285 yards and 43 touchdowns.
At 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, Dell has relied on speed, suddenness and precise route-running rather than size. He has also contributed as a returner, totaling 195 punt-return yards on 18 attempts and 44 kick-return yards. His 10 career receiving touchdowns include several highlight-reel scores that made him a fan favorite.
The Texans’ receiver room has changed during Dell’s absence. Nico Collins remains the clear No. 1 target. Houston also lost 2025 draft pick Jayden Higgins to a season-ending ACL tear, increasing the need for Dell’s return. Kayshon Boutte, Jaylin Noel and Xavier Hutchinson are expected to absorb extra snaps until Dell is activated.
Dell has remained a presence at the facility and on the sideline throughout his recovery. In January he called 2025 “the hardest year of his life” but added, “I’m back. I feel like I’m feeling really good right now. … Once the season comes, we’re gonna cook up.” Ryans has praised Dell’s attitude and daily work ethic.
Placing Dell on injured reserve designated to return is a conservative roster decision on cutdown weekend. It preserves a roster spot while protecting a player whose production — 55.0 receiving yards per game for his career and 10 scores in 25 games — still projects as a difference-maker if he can recapture his pre-injury form.
If Dell returns at even a portion of his 2023 efficiency, Houston’s offense would regain a proven deep threat and red-zone option opposite Collins. For now, the extra month of recovery is intended to give him the best chance to stay healthy once he does take the field.
