Injuries occupied far too much of the headlines for the Houston Texans this season but none were more disheatening than the knee injury suffered by Tank Dell.
Dell has been through a lot in his career, including suffering a fractured fibula that ended his rookie campaign. He was then one of 10 people wounded by a shooter in Florida this past April.
He was finally getting back to the player we saw in 2023, putting up his best performance in Week 16 against the Chiefs. Dell had 98 yards and a touchdown on six receptions before dislocating his kneecap.
READ MORE: Texans get huge jolt of playoff motivation from new figure on the sidelines
In addition to the dislocation, Dell has a torn ACL and other ligament damage. That means he's going to need multiple surgeries as he rehabs. The good news is that the first is done and Dell seems to be in good spirits. A picture of Dell was shared on his Instagram account, saying "he's doing great."
#Texans wide receiver Tank Dell first of several surgeries ahead of him was a successful procedure, per league source. Very long road ahead, but full recovery, return to play expected eventually for young player with such a strong work ethic and desire for the game @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/wrzxgL2sZD
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) January 16, 2025
Dell has remained positive throughout this ordeal, quickly sharing a social media post after the incident promising to come back stronger than ever.
In two seasons with the Texans, Dell has 98 receptions for 1,376 yards with 10 touchdowns. He's averaging 14.0 yards per reception and gives the offense a major boost with his deep speed.
Houston is also without Stefon Diggs, who suffered a torn ACL in Week 8. Diggs is a free agent in 2025 and would like to return. If they can re-sign him and get Dell healthy, they might finally see the trio they hoped for with Diggs, Dell, and Nico Collins.