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Tank Dell #3 of the Houston Texans is seen on the field before a game against the Los Angeles Chargers during the AFC Wild Card Playoffs.
Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell is electric on the football field. The issue for Dell and the Texans is that he has not been on the team often enough over the past two seasons. Still, Dell remains steadfast in his push to get back, and he is garnering looks because of it.
His latest showing comes in the wake of noteworthy comments from Texans general manager Nick Caserio, to which Dell had an immediate reaction.
The question remains if he can get back to his pre-injury form, but his progress is encouraging.
Tank Dell Sparks Wave of Reactions
GettyTank Dell #3 of the Houston Texans looks on against the Los Angeles Chargers during the AFC Wild Card Playoffs.
Dell posted a clip of himself lifting weights on his Instagram, with many noting how encouraging it was for the Texans wideout.
“Tank Dell in the lab [looking eyes emoji],” Houston Stressans posted on X on February 14.
The 33rd Team’s Sam Monson also weighed in, posting “Man, I hope Tank Dell makes it back 100%,” and sharing the clip that showed Dell carrying a pair of dumbbells along a strip of turf as trainers looked on in the background.
“#Texans WR Tank Dell is LOCKING IN on his recovery after suffering a torn MCL, LCL, ACL, a dislocated kneecap, and meniscus damage in 2024,” Hailmarypass posted.
Tank Dell’s Physique Questioned
GettyTank Dell #3 of the Houston Texans looks on from the sideline during a game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Houston Cougars.
Dell, who the Texans list at 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, also drew attention because of how he looked in that video, particularly his legs. Former Texans defensive tackle Seth Payne and co-host Sean Pendergast both remarked on it.
Pendergast noted that was seemingly the “big takeaway” for many fans.
“But he’s always had ridiculously skinny legs, to the point where you worry about him” Payne said on “Payne & Pendergast” on February 16.
“I’ll be honest with you, the problem in trying to figure this out is that he’s got a full tattoo sleeve on his right leg. And then, his left leg is the one where he injured his knee in 2024. And there were some angles where I thought his left leg looked definitely skinnier than his right leg, and then, there were other angles, where I couldn’t really tell a difference.”
In the end, Payne and Pendergast agreed that there was not as much of a difference as some had made it out to be.
Texans Going to Remain Patient With Tank Dell
GettyTank Dell #3 of the Houston Texans runs onto the field before facing the Miami Dolphins.
Dell’s injury history led to speculation that the Texans could look to part ways with the wideout this offseason, but Caserio spoke about having patience with players returning from injuries.
Part of that is that they have data on player benchmarks by which to chart rehab progress.
“The good thing about Tank, he’s been with us from the beginning,” Caserio told Payne and Pendergast on February 5. “It’ll be, probably, a slow-moving target. But you do have some patience, because we have a lot of data on our system, which we can utilize.”
Caserio admitted Dell is not where he was physically, but is trending in the right direction. That is good for news for Dell.
He can continue to push himself in a healthy way, rather than one that risks re-injury.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He’s based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
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