{"id":732557,"date":"2026-02-06T04:01:36","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T04:01:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/732557\/"},"modified":"2026-02-06T04:01:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T04:01:36","slug":"texans-gm-gets-honest-about-tank-dell-after-strong-message","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/732557\/","title":{"rendered":"Texans GM Gets Honest About Tank Dell After Strong Message"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Tank\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Tank Dell #3 of the Houston Texans looks on from the sideline during a game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Houston Cougars.<\/p>\n

Tank Dell<\/a> is unwavering, despite the Houston Texans<\/a> wide receiver encountering significant injury setbacks<\/a> in two of his three seasons in the NFL.<\/p>\n

Texans general manager Nick Caserio<\/a> is charged with being much more realistic in his role, building out the roster. Caserio has been candid about Dell, and that continued during Super Bowl week, even though the Texans are not participating.<\/p>\n

The stage is undoubtedly set for a bounce-back 2026 campaign for the third-year wideout.<\/p>\n

Texans GM Nick Caserio Gets Honest About Tank Dell\"Tank<\/p>\n

GettyTank Dell #3 of the Houston Texans looks on from the sideline during a game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders<\/a> and the Houston Cougars.<\/p>\n

Caserio doubled down on his assertion that Dell was close to returning for the Texans this past season and pushed to do so, but it simply did not work out that way.<\/p>\n

The No. 69 overall pick of the 2023 draft is \u201cready to go,\u201d though, according to Caserio. Dell last played in Week 16 of the 2024 season. The layoff has inevitably led to questions about whether Dell will be the same player he was before the devastating injury.<\/p>\n

Caserio expects to know more in April, when they hope Dell can take a \u201cbig step.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re fortunate. We were able to get a lot of data on the players and we use it to really it\u2019s two-fold to help educate them. And also to provide some benchmarks,\u201d Caserio said on \u201cClancy & Pendergast<\/a>\u201d on February 5. \u201cThe good thing about Tank, he\u2019s been with us from the beginning.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Caserio did not mince words about the kind of player the Texans saw in Dell during the pre-draft process. He noted that Dell was unguardable during Senior Bowl practices in 2023 due to his \u201cchange-of-direction\u201d skills. They must wait and see if he can still be that player.<\/p>\n

\u201cOverall, he\u2019s probably not quite to where he was,\u201d Caserio said. \u201cBut he\u2019s trending that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Caserio noted that there are \u201ca lot of checkpoints\u201d Dell still has to clear, but has asserted that the Texans\u2019 playmaker has maintained the right mindset.<\/p>\n

Tank Dell Makes \u2018Legendary\u2019 Claim\"Tank<\/p>\n

GettyTank Dell #3 of the Houston Texans runs onto the field before facing the Miami Dolphins<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dell reacted<\/a> to being doubted this season, when Caserio previously noted the Texans\u2019 uncertainty about whether he can bounce all the way back. He more recently provided context about his adamant mindset towards getting back on the field.<\/p>\n

Dell said that his goals off the field are to \u201ctake care of the fam,\u201d but that \u201call I\u2019m focused on is ball,\u201d and how that has taught him patience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never had a Plan B. Dead serious. I always knew it\u2019s the league or nothing for me. It\u2019s the league or it\u2019s nothing with me, bro. I ain\u2019t never want to be\u2013didn\u2019t want to be no street dude. I ain\u2019t want to be nothing else, I wanted to go to the NFL<\/a>, take care of my family,\u201d Dell said on the \u201cLife Without The Game<\/a>\u201d podcast on February 3.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dreams is really just to get back out there, because I haven\u2019t scratched surface yet. That\u2019s how I feel. I had a okay rookie year. Really had a bad\u2013my second year, I felt like to me personally, it wasn\u2019t a good year at all. And I ain\u2019t\u2013I feel like\u2013I haven\u2019t scratched the surface yet to be who I am and to be what I know I can be in the NFL. So, my dreams, I\u2019m trying to be a legend. I\u2019m trying to be legendary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Notably, Caserio praised Dell\u2019s productivity since the Texans drafted him.<\/p>\n

He noted that the receiver has a \u201cbetter understanding\u201d of \u201cwhere he is now and what he can and can\u2019t do\u201d on the football field in the NFL. Caserio also believes the year to sit and observe \u201cfrom a different lens\u201d could benefit Dell in that regard.<\/p>\n

Texans Face Tank Dell Decision\"Tank<\/p>\n

GettyTank Dell #3 of the Houston Texans looks on against the Chicago Bears<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Texans\u2019 financial situation<\/a> looms over their offseason planning, and Dell could find himself on the wrong side of the equation.<\/p>\n

\u201cInjuries have been the unfortunate story throughout Dell\u2019s young career, and he heads into a contract year in 2026,\u201d Spotrac\u2019s Michael Ginnitti wrote<\/a> in January. \u201cHouston can free up over $1.5M of space by moving on.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, that is modest savings for a player who still means a lot to the team<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dell\u2019s future with the Texans seems far more certain than some of his current teammates heading into the offseason.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tJosh Buckhalter<\/a> 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<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Texans\n\t\t<\/p>\n

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