Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans attended the team’s annual golf charity event with team owner Cal McNair and other organizational figures. One of the topics reporters asked the head coach about involved injured wide receiver Tank Dell.
Dell suffered multiple torn ligaments in his knee in Week 16 of the 2024 season, and the expectation is that he will miss the entire 2025 campaign.
However, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reported Dell has an outside chance of returning in 2025.
“There’s a very strong chance that he’ll miss the entire season because he tore his ACL, MCL, and LCL,” Wilson reported on May 5. “Turns out that he didn’t have meniscus damage, and so that’s one of the reasons why there’s this outside chance [to play in 2025].
“He has made significant progress. I’m told his activity is very good and people are enthusiastic about what they’re seeing from Tank from a rehab standpoint.”
“I talk to Tank all the time. Tank is doing great. He’s in good spirits, he’s on the road to recovery, he’s doing real well in his rehab process. He’s in a really good spot. So excited to see how that continues to progress,” Ryans told reporters on May 5.
“I want him to continue to get better and continue to attack each day in the rehab process the right way, like he’s been doing, with a great attitude. And he’ll be back when it’s time for Tank to be back. It’s nothing to rush. There’s no set timeline, or we need him back by this certain date. We need Tank back when Tank is ready to be Tank, and that’s good enough to me.”
Tank Dell Making ‘Impressive Progress’
Wilson characterized Dell as making “steady and impressive progress” during his rehab in a post on X on May 5.
He also noted just how many outcomes remain on the table for the Dell and the Texans.
“They don’t want to put any pressure on him to rush himself back, obviously. They don’t want to have any setbacks, and if he does anything at all, if he’s even under consideration to – what if he could do something in December or January? – then that’s an amazing accomplishment, a great comeback. Because the likelihood is 2026,” Wilson said.
“They’re just never going to rule him out. But, yes, will he begin camp on the physically unable to perform list? Yes. Will he start the season on injured reserve? Yes. These are all things that are going to happen, and then he can be designated for return if they want to. Or they can make a judgment call by September that it doesn’t make any sense. They could just say he’s going to be on injured reserve the entire year.”
“They’re going to need some of these designated-for-returns inevitably,” Wilson said. “Other players get injured. That’s just the reality of football. It’s a 100% injury rate.”
Wilson noted that Ryans’ “wording” about Dell’s situation has remained constant this offseason.
Tank Dell Offers Reminder to Doubters
The Texans made contingency plans for Dell’s anticipated absence and the loss of Stefon Diggs, drafting Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel in the 2025 draft. Houston also still has Nico Collins and John Metchie III, and added Christian Kirk in free agency.
Dell, however, offered a reminder that he should not be forgotten.
“Delayed but not denied,” Dell captioned a post that included images of himself on the field on X on May 4. “Say what you want I’ll be back.”
Dell, 25, caught 51 passes for 667 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2024. He sports a 98-1,376-10 line for his career. However, he has also missed nine games over his first two seasons, with more to come.
