Further evaluation of Tank Dell‘s knee injury has not produced an encouraging update. In addition to the dislocated kneecap he suffered on Saturday, the second-year receiver is dealing with a torn ACL.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans delivered the news Monday, as shared by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, confirming Dell will miss the remainder of the 2024 season. A long rehab process awaits, and remaining on the sidelines into the start of the 2025 campaign would not come as a surprise. In any case, Houston will be notably shorthanded at wideout moving forward.
Dell went down after a collision with Jared Wayne while scoring a touchdown during the Texans’ loss to the Chiefs. He was immediately taken to hospital and diagnosed with the dislocated kneecap. As Ryans noted on Monday, the ACL in the affected knee has been torn in addition to other damage. It was unclear at first if surgery would be required, but obviously that is now the case.
The Texans lost Stefon Diggs earlier this year to an ACL tear of his own, an injury which led to an increased reliance on Dell and top wideout Nico Collins to compensate for his absence. Now, Collins is the lone remaining member of Houston’s lauded WR trio which entered the campaign with high expectations. In the wake of signing a long-term extension this offseason, Collins will be tasked with carrying the load in the passing game as the Texans prepare for the postseason.
The likes of Robert Woods, John Metchie and Xavier Hutchinson are in place as options (alongside Wayne) to fill larger roles down the stretch and through the playoffs. Houston has locked up the top spot in the AFC South, but changes in seeding could still take place depending on the team’s final two games. Ryans said on Sunday it remains to be seen if the Texans will pursue a late addition at the receiver spot.
Dell’s involvement in the passing game was inconsistent this season, one in which Houston’s offense as a whole has underwhelmed. Still, the 25-year-old managed to record 667 yards and three touchdowns on 51 catches in 2024. Two more years remain on his rookie contract, but it will be quite some time before Dell next takes the field.
