Tank Dell is back in Texans camp, but Houston is not rushing him into the deep end.
After missing the 2025 season because of a serious knee injury, the wide receiver has been cleared to take part in training camp this week. Even so, he’s working separately for now, with coach Demeco Ryans making it clear Dell is following his own path back.
“We're excited for Tank to just get back out here in the training camp,” Ryans said. “On his own ramp-up schedule, but it's exciting to just have him; he's eager to go, and the thing is, Tank is a smart player.
“We know how dynamic Tank was when he was out there, but again, he hasn't played ball over two years, so it's important for him to get those.”
Dell hasn’t played in the league since December 2024, and Ryans stressed that the priority is getting him enough football work before any full return to team drills. The coach said he expects to have a better sense of Dell’s next step after next week.
“It’s important for him to get all of those reps because he's missed so much time of playing football,” Ryans said. “So you know, my mind said there is to get them as much football as possible and build them up until he's able to get into our team drills and we'll see how he progresses next week to see how if he's able to get out there or not.”
Dell’s production before the injury showed why Houston is eager to have him back. He broke out in 2023 with 709 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games, then followed that with 667 yards and three touchdowns in 2024 before getting hurt.
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