The Houston Texans are hoping that their offense can bounce back in 2026, with much of their success set to depend on the passing game. Embattled quarterback C.J. Stroud obviously needs to be better under center, but he needs some help from the rest of the offense, which is something the front office worked on giving him this offseason.
One guy who is a bit of a forgotten man for the Texans is wide receiver Tank Dell, as he is still recovering from a serious knee injury in 2024. On Wednesday, Dell participated in his first padded practice since before he suffered this injury, but head coach DeMeco Ryans made sure to pump the brakes when discussing the talented pass catcher’s rehab process.
DeMeco Ryans Weighs in on Tank Dell’s Injury Rehab
The Texans selected Dell in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he quickly turned himself into a key piece of the team’s up-and-coming offense. As a rookie, Dell caught 47 passes for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in just 11 games of action, making him one of the brightest young playmakers in the league.
Dell didn’t have as much success in 2024 (51 receptions, 667 yards, three touchdowns in 14 games), but everything came crashing down when he tore multiple ligaments and dislocated his kneecap in the team’s Week 16 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The severity of the injury caused Dell to miss the entire 2025 campaign, with the hope being he could return in 2026.
While Houston’s offense has been the subject of much criticism, Dell has been quietly working his way back to full health behind the scenes. He took a big step towards returning to action when he participated in the team’s padded practice on Wednesday, but Ryans urged folks to continue to be patient with Dell, as the team isn’t ready to take the training wheels off for him just yet from the sounds of it.
“Tank is on the right plan,” Ryans said when speaking to reporters. “Nothing’s changed in his plan. We’re progressing him on really well. We expect him to just continue to progress with how he’s feeling. There’s no set way of doing it. It’ll be based on how he’s feeling. We’ll do the right thing by Tank and make sure we approach it the right way. Take care of him the right way, so he can be feeling confident when he steps back out there for team drills.”
Texans’ Offense Hoping to Get Big Boost with Tank Dell’s Return
GettyTank Dell’s status looms large for the Houston Texans.
It’s tough to expect too much from Dell in his return to action, as he has simply missed such a long period of action. It’s going to take him a while to get his feet back underneath him, regardless of when he actually gets back on the field, and yet, the team is hoping he can still make an impact in 2026.
Things are continuing to trend in the right direction for Dell, but it still seems like he’s a long shot to be ready for Week 1 of the regular season. The Texans are going to continue exercising as much caution as possible with Dell as he continues working away at his injury rehab, but the progress he is continuing to make is quite encouraging.
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