According to KPRC 2 Texans Insider Aaron Wilson, the Houston Texans completed another practice today in which wide receiver Tank Dell was not an active participant. This is now trending in the direction for the former UH Cougar to miss the team's third and final preseason contest against the Carolina Panthers this Friday night from Bank of America Stadium.
The last time we saw Dell taking team drill reps was exactly two weeks ago on August the 10th. The occurrence ignited the fans in attendance, as they (as we all) saw it as a major step forward in Dell's recovery timeline since he first began his comeback from his catastrophic knee injury in December of the 2024 season against the Kansas City Chiefs. He caught a pass from backup quarterback Davis Mills in team period that day, which was an upgrade from just doing indy drills on the sidelines.
Since then, Dell has a virtual no-show in practice, and many are now speculating that he could be a candidate for an early-season stint on the Injured Reserve list if things don't turn around quickly.
The Houston Texans may have to place Tank Dell on the Injured Reserve list to start the regular season
The reality is, Dell's absences are beginning to pile up to the point to where the Texans may have no choice but to strongly consider placing him on IR to begin the year. At a time where Houston has been dealing with a rash of injuries at other key positions (i.e. wide receiver Jayden Higgins's torn ACL, running back British Brooks' broken hand, etc.), they're looking for players to who're not only talented, but who can be the most available when called upon.
RIght now, Dell doesn't seem to fit that bill, which is unfortunate considering how close we all thought he was just two weeks ago. And ultimately, it would be unfair to place certain expectations at the feet of Dell anyway, considering how he's literally fighting to continue his NFL career after such a disaster of an injury at the time. If put on the IR, Dell would have to miss the first four games of the season before being able to be activated.
If that's the case, then the former third-round pick may not be available to play until Houston's week five contest against the Tennessee Titans from Nissan Stadium. That might be for the best for all parties, as it would both allow for maximum recovery time for Dell and the ability for head coach DeMeco Ryans and his coaching staff to figure out the best plan for approaching the finalization of the 53-man roster.
Regardless, it's still a disappointing update on the Dell front, as a true return to an NFL would be one of the most feel-good stories of the league. Here's hoping for the best of recoveries for Dell.
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