Tank Dell is on the verge of a long-awaited return, and the Houston Texans are ready to have one of C.J. Stroud’s most trusted targets back in the mix.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday afternoon that Dell will be activated from injured reserve for Houston’s Week 7 game against the New York Giants, setting up the wide receiver’s first NFL action since December of 2024.
Dell’s road back has been a long one. He suffered a severe knee injury in the Texans’ Week 15 game against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024, with damage to his ACL, MCL, LCL, meniscus, and kneecap. That injury forced him into a rehab stretch that has now lasted 22 months.
He sat out the entire 2025 season while recovering and has spent the first six weeks of the 2026 season on injured reserve. Houston opened his 21-day practice window after its Week 4 game against the Dallas Cowboys, a sign that his comeback was drawing closer. After the Texans’ Week 6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the return became official.
Ryans kept the expectations simple.
"I just expect Tank to be himself, no huge expectations, all just excited to see him out there for first time in over two years," Ryans said on Monday. "Thankful, grateful to him. I don't have any expectations, just happy to see him out there."
He added, "We all know Tank is an explosive player, still quick as ever, ask our defenders covering him past two weeks. I expect him to really stress defenders.'
Before the injury, Dell had already carved out a big role as a vertical threat in Houston’s offense. In his first two seasons, he appeared in 25 games and totaled 98 catches for 1,376 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also set the Texans rookie record for touchdown receptions in 2023 with seven.
Now he returns to a receiving group that looks much different than the one he left behind. Dell is set to join Nico Collins, Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson, and Kayshon Boutte, while also lining up with the Texans’ newest addition at the position, Marvn Harrison Jr., acquired in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals around this time last week.
How many snaps Dell gets right away, and what his role looks like in this version of the Texans offense, remains to be seen. But after more than 600 days away from live game action, his return will be one to watch for Houston and for the NFL at large.
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