It’s been a long road back for Tank Dell.
The Houston Texans wide receiver returned to practice Wednesday in a limited capacity, marking another major step in his recovery from the devastating knee injury he suffered in December 2024.
Dell’s injury was about as serious as it gets. He suffered a dislocated kneecap along with tears to his ACL, MCL and LCL and damage to his meniscus, ultimately forcing him to miss the entire 2025 season.
Now, nearly two years after the injury, Dell was back in pads and participating in individual drills, including running routes and catching passes. Head coach DeMeco Ryans made it clear Houston is still being cautious with his workload.
That’s understandable considering what Dell has gone through.
Before the injury, Dell had established himself as one of C.J. Stroud’s most dangerous weapons. He totaled 1,376 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns across his first two NFL seasons.
Nobody knows exactly how quickly Dell will return to his old form, and Houston shouldn’t rush him.
But after an entire season away from football, simply seeing Tank Dell back on the practice field is already a massive win.
And if he can eventually become the explosive receiver Houston remembers, the Texans could be getting an important piece of their offense back at exactly the right time.
