Troubling report emerges about Texans WR Tank Dell's knee injury

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell suffered a significant knee injury late last season, and it sounds like he may not take the field at all in 2025.

Dell dislocated his knee and tore several ligaments after he caught a touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud in Week 16 last season. He has needed multiple surgeries, the most recent of which was in March.

While Dell is said to be making progress, he still faces a long road to recovery. In a story that was published on Sunday giving a detailed look at the Texans' current wide receiver situation, Jonathan Alexander of the Houston Chronicle wrote that Dell is unlikely to play this upcoming season.

"Dell will more than likely miss the 2025 season and be placed on the physically unable to perform list, given the nature of his knee injury and the timing of his ACL surgery, which took place just two months ago," Alexander wrote. "The timetable for ACL injuries is typically six to 12 months. Dell also dislocated his knee, tore other ligaments and damaged his meniscus."

Dell finished with 51 catches for 667 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games last season. He was limited to 11 games as a rookie in 2023 after he fractured his fibula in Week 13, so the 25-year-old already has a lengthy injury history.

The Texans have one of the best wide receivers in the NFL in Nico Collins. They also acquired Christian Kirk in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason. Despite that, Houston still chose to draft wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel — former teammates at Iowa State — in the second and third rounds, respectively.

Almost everything that the Texans have done in recent months suggests they do not expect to have Dell back anytime soon.