Texans’ Tank Dell on comeback, training camp: ‘I’m ready, can’t wait, long journey, light at end of the tunnel’

FRIENDSWOOD – Tank Dell has navigated one of the longest roads any football player has endured.

Now, the Texans’ wide receiver is closing in on the final stages of his ongoing comeback from a devastating knee injury. After dislocating his knee and tearing his anterior cruciate, medial collateral and lateral collateral ligaments while catching a touchdown in a December 2024 game at Arrowhead Stadium, Dell is preparing for increased activity at training camp.

“I’m ready,” Dell told KPRC 2 Saturday afternoon during a Fanatics event at Dick’s House of Sport where he was joined by teammates Danielle Hunter and Nico Collins. “I can’t wait.”

Dell has worked tirelessly to reach this stage of his comeback. He’s on his grind, haunting the Texans’ weight room and training room to relaunch his career after undergoing two surgeries in January of 2025 to repair the damage to his knee.

“It’s been a roller coaster ride,” Dell said. “You know, I have my good days, I have my bad days. Just me keeping my trust in God, being faithful with God and just knowing that He could come through for me. I always had, like, a levitating head.

“I always knew that’s the main thing, and I always kept that at the front of my head. It’s been a roller coaster ride, to say the least. It’s been a long journey, but I’m built for it, and I’m ready for it, and I was ready for it. I’m getting through it, and it’s light at the end of the tunnel, so I’m almost there.”

During the Texans’ minicamp, Dell took an important step in his recovery. He was limited in the majority of the drills, but he did catch passes from quarterback C.J. Stroud against the Texans’ top-ranked defense. The plan is to ramp him up the former University of Houston star at training camp in late July.

“I’ll be there,” Dell said. “Just to be out there with the team, man, and just to feel the camaraderie, just being out there and catching a ball from C.J. and being in the team atmosphere, man, it felt so good. Y’all don’t understand how long I waited for that.”

Dell is making strides.

He was able to run and cut, albeit not yet at his old dynamic self. He is not a full participant in organized team activities. Nonetheless, Dell looked pretty good.

It was an encouraging sign for Dell, who has endured hard luck and tough breaks while flashing a lot of skill and impactful potential in his first few NFL seasons.

The support from his family, his teammates, coaches, training staff and his fans, it all means so much to Dell.

“My family, of course. God first, but my family, of course, and the belief I have from the organization, from Nick (Caserio) on to the bottom, from Nick (Caley) to DeMeco to my receiver coach, Ben (McDaniels) to the training staff, Roland (Ramirez) and everyone in the training staff.

“It’s been a great ride, a great journey, and they held me down from the jump. It’s going to be a great year for us. You know, our number one goal is to be the first team to put a bull on the ring. That’s main focus going to a Super Bowl. That’s all we’re thinking about.”

Dell is a popular figure with the Texans’ fan base. He felt that connection again Saturday as he

“It’s very cool,” Dell said. “I love the fans. I love the city. I love the organization that I play for. Man, I love everything about Houston. It was great to interact with the fans and be close and get to touch them and hug them.”

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans has consistently provided encouragement to Dell, and an open door to him to talk about anything as he went through this adversity.

“Anything I needed, I could go in there and talk to them about it, especially to DeMeco,” Ryans said. “His number one rule, his door is always open. You can talk to him about anything.

“He’s a players’ coach, so you can really talk to DeMeco about anything, and he’d be there for you. They just held me down from the jump, and it’s been awesome, and I’m thankful to be in the situation that I was in. I’m thankful to be at the Texans, playing for the Texans.”

Dell broke his leg as a rookie blocking in the red zone against the Denver Broncos. Then, he got shot as an innocent bystander that offseason in his leg. Two seasons ago, Dell tore up his knee while catching a touchdown pass against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Texans are taking a patient, big-picture approach with Dell. The hope is that he can ramp up his participation by training camp and regain his old form.

“Tank is still working off on the side,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said during the first organized team activity. “When that time is set for him to be back, he’ll be back out there.”

And that time is approaching, gradually.

“Tank has been around, working out all throughout the offseason while no one else was here,” Ryans said. “Tank has been here working, grinding in the background. I’m excited to see Tank when it is his time to get back out and play football, as is everybody here. We all love Tank. We’ve seen the ability that he has, the big playmaking ability.

“Nobody loves Tank more than me. I’m hopeful that we can get him back to playing, back to the level that he was playing. But I think it’s also, we know how devastating of an injury that was for Tank. So, I’m proud of the young man. For him just working in the background, working in silence to be back here working out with the guys and having that opportunity to go play again.”

Caserio said previously that the team will evaluate where Dell stands after spring workouts to determine his activity level at training camp. He was noncommittal on a timeline.

“With Tank, honestly, it’s probably a day-to-day, we’ll kind of see where he is,” Caserio said. “Probably have a better idea as we get through the spring of what his availability is going to be in training camp. He’s been here pretty religiously, since he’s been able to do more once he’s gotten out of the rehab stage.”

Dell has fought through all of the doubt and frustration of an injury that interrupted the dynamic start to his NFL career, leaning on faith, hard work, family, friends and coaches like Ryans to remain positive and optimistic.

Dell called it the hardest year of his life.

Dell is looking forward to making a healthy return and get back to playing the game he loves.

“What I’ve been through is something that taught me to be humble and just keep working, I’m back, I’m feeling good right now,” Dell said earlier this offseason. “Once the season comes, I’m gonna cook up.”

Running free, catching touchdown passes, bolting past coverage.

That’s the vision for Dell. The comeback trail is being paved month by month for Dell as he continues to strengthen his surgically repaired knee.

Dell tried to make a return for the end of the season as the Texans made another playoff run that ended in the divisional round, but it was regarded as too soon for him to get back out there.

“I was making a push, I wanted to be out there with the guys,” Dell said. “Last year, that football season alone, was the hardest year of my life. Just sitting out of football for a year straight.

“Been playing football since I was five and that was my first year I ever had to sit out of football so that was hard. I tried to make a push back, it didn’t go as planned. I got time now and I’ll be ready.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com