Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell suffered a gruesome injury during his team’s Week 16 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. While catching his first touchdown pass since October, the second-year pass catcher suffered a knee injury that will not only hold him out of the rest of the current season, but might affect the entirety of 2025, as well.
Tank Dell Could Be Out For Entire 2025 Season
It didn’t take an expert doctor to know that Dell’s injury was serious. In a scene not recommended for the squeamish, the 25-year-old writhed in pain after taking an awkward fall, and was tended to by medical professionals for an extended period while the game was paused. It was determined after the game against the Chiefs that he had not only suffered a dislocated knee cap, but that he also tore three ligaments: his ACL, MCL, and PCL.
It was obvious that he would miss out on the final couple of games of the regular season, as well as the upcoming playoff run for the Texans. But given the severity of the injury, his 2025 campaign is in serious jeopardy as well.
The recovery time for torn ligaments varies from athlete to athlete. There have been players who have returned to action roughly six months after suffering the injury, with the typical recovery time being eight to nine months. Depending on the severity, it could take longer, and there have been NFL players who have missed entire seasons while attempting to rehab.
From the @Netflix Christmas GameDay pregame show with @heykayadams: How the #Texans make up for the loss of Tank Dell, plus the #Ravens offense will have Zay Flowers today. pic.twitter.com/1jJNGz5Qsz
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 25, 2024
Tank Dell will likely be in the extended period window, and there is a chance that he doesn’t play at all next season. The Texans wideout suffered not one, but three torn knee ligaments in addition to the dislocation, which will all take longer to heal than just your typical ACL tear. Thanks to the injury occurring late in the 2024 season, it may take all of the 2025 campaign to return to full strength.
It is yet another tough blow for the young wide receiver. During his rookie year, he suffered a fractured fibula, missing the Texans’ final five games of the regular season as well as their two playoff contests.
How will Houston fill the void? Aside from Tank Dell, the Texans have just three WRs under contract for 2025: Nico Collins, John Metchie, and Xavier Hutchinson. The latter two have combined to catch 33 passes in 2024, meaning that the team’s front office will be searching for some help at the position to keep quarterback CJ Stroud with a solid stable of weapons surrounding him.
