Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell is out for the season after suffering a dislocated knee and torn ACL, coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters Monday.
Dell was injured in Saturday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after catching a 30-yard touchdown pass from quarterback C.J. Stroud with 11:40 left in the third quarter. On a deep throw intended for Dell, Houston wide receiver Jared Wayne was in the vicinity of the play attempting to make a catch and collided with Dell’s knee. Medical personnel carted Dell off the field after tending to him for almost 10 minutes. Many Houston players, including Stroud and Wayne, were in shock after the play, and some were in tears.
The 25-year-old Houston product spent the night in a Kansas City area hospital before returning to Houston on Sunday.
“The focus is just on Tank,” Ryans said when asked about how Dell’s injury would affect his status for 2025. “Going through this process. Getting the surgery and getting recovered. We’ll deal with that when it comes but I don’t think it is the time right now to discuss what is going to happen next year with Tank. We’ll allow him to get this time to heal up and recover.”
In his second season, Dell caught 51 passes for 667 yards and three touchdowns. His 98-yard performance against the Chiefs was his second-highest total of the 2024 campaign.
Dell’s season-ending injury thins the Houston receiving corps — a group that already lost Stefon Diggs to a non-contact knee injury in Week 8. Behind star wide out Nico Collins, the Texans will now rely on veteran Robert Woods, John Metchie III (dealing with a shoulder injury), Xavier Hutchinson and Wayne. Tight end Dalton Schultz will likely see an increase in targets too.
“We’re rolling with what we have,” Ryans said when asked if the team could make an addition.
The Texans (9-6) have already locked up the AFC South and will take on the Baltimore Ravens (10-5) on Christmas Day on Netflix at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Required reading
- Examining the playoff picture coming out Sunday’s Week 16 games
(Photo: Jason Hanna / Getty Images)
