Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell is set to play Sunday against the New York Giants. That will be his first NFL game since December 2024. Head coach DeMeco Ryans announced the plan, according to Aaron Wilson. NFL Trade Rumors said Dell will be activated from injured reserve. The same outlet called it his first regular-season game since a "catastrophic" knee injury, and said the injury was career-threatening. Pro Football Talk described the move as the end of a "long comeback."
The outlets differ on how long he has been out and how bad the injury was. ESPN put the absence at 22 months. Yahoo Sports called the injury "gruesome" and said he suffered it late in 2024. NFL Trade Rumors dated it to December 2024 and said he missed all of 2025. Our archive lists his last appearance as Dec. 21, 2024. None of the headlines or summaries we have say whether Dell will have a snap count or what role he will play. ESPN also ran a separate piece with the headline that Ryans "can't wait to see" Dell back on the field, but we only have that headline.
What Houston is getting back is a receiver who was productive before the injury. Dell caught 47 passes for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in 10 games in 2023. In 2024 he had 51 catches for 667 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games. Those are his only two seasons in our archive, and he has no 2026 numbers because he hasn't played.
The Texans are 2-4 and third in the AFC South, but they have won two straight. They beat Tennessee 26-3 on Oct. 11, then won 34-31 at Jacksonville on Oct. 18 at Wembley Stadium. In that game C.J. Stroud threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns, and Jaylin Noel caught four passes for 107 yards and a score. Nico Collins added three catches for 74 yards.
That passing game was productive without Dell, so he is joining an offense that is already working. How the targets get divided once he is on the field is an open question the reporting doesn't answer.
The Giants arrive at NRG Stadium at 3-2 and leading the NFC East, but they are coming off a 34-27 home loss to New Orleans. Before that they tied Washington 27-27 on Oct. 11 and beat Arizona 36-24 on Oct. 4. Houston hosts New York on Sunday, Oct. 25, and that game is the one to watch for how Dell looks after the long layoff.
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