Tank Dell's return from one of the most devastating knee injuries in recent NFL memory will have to wait a little longer.
The Houston Texans placed the 26-year-old wide receiver on injured reserve with a designation to return Sunday, ruling him out for at least the first four games of the 2026 regular season and setting his earliest possible return date as October 11 against the Tennessee Titans.
Dell has not played since December 21, 2024, Week 16 against the Kansas City Chiefs, when he caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud, collided with a teammate in the end zone and dislocated his kneecap while tearing his ACL, MCL and LCL and damaging his meniscus simultaneously.
Two surgeries followed. He missed the entire 2025 season. He returned to training camp this summer but participated mostly in individual drills and took part in only one padded team session throughout camp. He did not appear in any preseason games.
The move is not a surprise. Coach DeMeco Ryans had been preaching patience all summer.
The designation to return means the Texans expect him back at some point in 2026. In his two active seasons Dell has caught 98 passes for 1,376 yards and 10 touchdowns, the production of a legitimate No. 2 receiver behind Nico Collins.
He is already the second Texans receiver on injured reserve after Jayden Higgins tore his ACL in joint practice with the Raiders earlier this month.