HOUSTON – Texans veteran tight end Dalton Schultz was officially ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos.
Schultz is one of Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud’s favorite downfield targets. He got hurt last Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, catching one pass for two yards. He has caught 40 passes for 455 yards and five touchdowns this season.
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With Schultz sidelined, Brevin Jordan will be the primary replacement along with Eric Saubert. They can also elevate tight end-fullback Dalton Keene from the practice squad.
Meanwhile, rookie wide receiver Tank Dell practiced two days in a row after missing practice Wednesday with a minor calf injury, a diagnosis confirmed by a magnetic resonance imaging exam. Dell declared that he’s ready to play against the Broncos, who are riding a five-game winning streak.
“Yeah, I feel good, I’m good,” Dell told KPRC 2. “It was just like them taking care of me making sure I was good to go for Sunday. I’m good now. Pretty exciting team, they’re on a five-game winning streak. Their defense been doing great, so just going to bring up a challenge for us offensively and defensively. We ready.”
#Texans wide receiver Tank Dell said he's good to go for Sunday's game against #Broncos @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/Jo8EyD4HFz
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 1, 2023
#Texans Friday practice which includes participation from Tank Dell, Sheldon Rankins and Maliek Collins. Not practicing and not expected to play Sunday: Dalton Schultz @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/toKUMLsPjJ
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 1, 2023
A third-round draft pick from the University of Houston, Dell has caught 47 passes for 709 yards and a franchise rookie record seven touchdowns. He’s on pace to finish the season with 73 catches, 1,096 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Noah Brown is truly questionable after not practicing on Friday after practicing Wednesday and Thursday on a limited basis.
“They’re grinding, they’re out there,” offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said of Dell and Brown. “They’re putting their best foot forward doing everything they can to make sure that they’re 1,000 percent ready to go on Sunday and we can use them some way.”
Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, who didn’t practice Wednesday and Thursday, returned to practice Friday, an encouraging sign as he works his way back from an elbow injury. Rankins indicated he will play Sunday even though he i listed as questionable.
Veteran safety and team captain Jimmie Ward is back from a hamstring injury after missing consecutive practices. He’s set to start Sunday next to safety Jalen Pitre.
#Texans safety Jimmie Ward is a Stepbrothers movie fan. He even made a Catalina Wine Mixer reference @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/9ubjLr7aYr
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 1, 2023
Defensive tackle Maliek Collins (personal reasons) returned to practice Thursday along with offensive tackles Laremy Tunsil (knee) and George Fant (hip). None of them have any injury designation.
Brown returned to practice Wednesday after missing the past two games with a knee contusion. He has caught 21 passes for 439 yards and one touchdown, averaging 20.9 yards per catch. He had a career-high 172 yards on seven catches against the Cincinnati Bengals in his last game before being sidelined. He caught six passes for 153 yards and one score against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was limited.
Linebacker Jake Hansen (hand surgery, hamstring) is questionable.
Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud participated fully with a thigh injury Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and has no injury designation.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.