The Houston Texans are banking on Tank Dell's return in 2026 to prop up a passing attack that has been middle of the pack each of the last two seasons, but this bet on Dell is not just one on a beloved teammate, relentless worker, and a proven-to-be productive player... it's a bet on good health for a young man who has dealt with the sort of injury hardship through his first two seasons that very few players are forced to encounter throughout the entirety of their career.
Despite his stature, to say that Tank Dell is injury prone would be a mischaracterization. The injuries that have kept Dell out of action have been catastrophic and unexpected, not the sort of only semi-serious injuries that will keep a player out of action for a week or two here and there. Is that bad luck? Who knows, but perhaps a minor change in appearance could be all Dell needs to reverse his fortune as he heads into the 2026 NFL season.
Dell, who has worn number 3 since his arrival in Houston in 2023, seems to have indicated that his return to the field will be marked by a return to the number he wore during a productive career at the University of Houston... number 1.
On Wednesday, Dell posted a photo of himself social media in a Texans uniform with the caption, 'With a different number ofc (of course)..." leading many to believe that the 26-year-old wideout will be making the change from 3 to 1 before the 2026 season begins. Each of his first two seasons, a veteran teammate had claimed the #1 jersey, forcing Dell to make the by a sum of two. Now that those veterans -- Stefon Diggs and Jimmie Ward -- have cleared out, and Dell has more than paid his dues, he could be making a return to his previous jersey number.
At the University of Houston, Dell put up bonkers number during his second and third seasons with the Cougars, catching 199 passes for 2,727 yards and 29 touchdowns in 27 games, earning All-AAC 1st Team honors each of the two campaigns. It was this remarkable production during these two seasons that put Dell on the map after starting his career at Alabama A&M and taking a detour at Independence Community College before starting his FBS career.
In 25 career games with the Texans, Dell has caught 98 passes for 1,376 yards and 10 touchdowns. Among all players in the 2023 Draft class, Dell ranks 5th in receiving yards per game (55.0), trailing only Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zay Flowers and Rashee Rice.