The Houston Texans‘ offensive struggles were hard to ignore. Throughout the last season, both the team and quarterback C.J. Stroud continued to make headlines for all the wrong reasons. Stroud was sacked a shocking 52 times, and the last blow before 2025? Pro Football Focus released its rankings of offensive lines from the 2024 season. And the Texans landed dead last at No. 32. At times such as this, Texans Wide Receiver, Tank Dell‘s emotional message may spark hopes again! But the new list might shed light on where the team stands. PFF’s Zoltan Buday was quite clear on his takes about the two veteran players on the roster.
“The presence of veterans Laremy Tunsil and Shaq Mason prevented an already shaky Texans’ offensive line from being even worse in 2024, and the team cut ties with both this offseason. Now there is very little to suggest that the group isn’t deserving of the No. 32 ranking ahead of the 2025 season,” PFF’s Zoltan Buday wrote. As said, before this, the team also lost a key weapon late in the year. Their star wide receiver, Dell, sustained a serious injury during Week 16 in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
This injury saw him recover throughout the entire offseason. He was even predicted to miss the entire 2025 season. But ahead of training camp, it seems that he is all set to return to his position. “Man, I miss ts bad fam,” Dell wrote on his IG story, sharing a new snap.
Is it possible? Before you start wishing, it would be good to understand the risks involved in that hope. During the game mentioned earlier, he dislocated his kneecap, tore his ACL, MCL, and LCL, and suffered meniscus damage. Such injuries take time to heal. This was considered as serious as Teddy Bridgewater’s injury.
Sport Bilder des Tages KANSAS CITY, MO – DECEMBER 21: Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud 7 is distraught after a brutal leg injury to teammate Tank Dell 3 in the third quarter of an NFL, American Football Herren, USA game between the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs on December 21, 2024 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire NFL: DEC 21 Texans at Chiefs EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2412211047
He also dislocated his knee and tore his ACL back in 2016, and it almost ended his career. It would be highly unlikely for Dell to return as early as Week 1. But perhaps, it wouldn’t be wrong to hope for his return by midseason. Well, he has also been doing everything to stay motivated. In his absence and quite a critical time for the Texans, the head coach Ryan has been putting in immense effort to uplift the team’s offense this year.
Whether Dell returns this year or not, NFL experts have seemingly already found another star to replace the 25-year-old.
Will DeMeco Ryans replace Tank Dell?
Now, after the prediction, we know that Dell might miss the entire season or may not. But The Athletic’s Jacob Robinson suggested that WR Christian Kirk may step in to replace him in the lineup. He is expected to take on the slot receiver role. The report further explained that he’ll need to compete with rookie Jaylin Noel for that spot, but because of his experience, Kirk is likely to win the job.
Now, if he can stay healthy and play all 17 games this season, he could put up strong numbers. Robinson expects him to recreate the same success as he did in his best season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He had 1,108 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. He was also their best-receiving option in the first 8 games in 2023. But as Robinson reminded, staying healthy is always a concern, especially in this case.
As for Dell, he underwent two surgeries for his knee injury and will focus on his recovery until he is fit enough. Ryan’s earlier explanation was that he wants the player to get better. “Tank is doing great. He’s in good spirits. He’s on the road to recovery. He’s doing well in his rehab process. He’s in a good spot, so excited to see how that continues to progress,” Ryan told KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson.
He further added, “He’ll be back when it’s time for Tank to be back. There’s nothing to rush. There’s no set timeline, or we need him back by this certain date. We need Tank back when Tank is ready to be Tank, and that’s good enough for me.” He has faith in Dell, but until he returns, Ryan might face the pressure to replace him. We have to wait to find out how things will turn out for Dell and the Texans.
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