Tank Dell's knee injury is serious and could put his status in doubt for the start of the 2025 season.
The Texans wide receiver suffered a dislocated patella, torn ACL and other injuries and will undergo season-ending surgery, head coach DeMeco Ryans announced Monday.
Dell, 25, was injured in the Texans' loss to the Chiefs on Saturday, a blow to the AFC South champions as they prepare for the playoffs.
This season, Dell played in 14 games and had 51 catches for 667 yards and three touchdowns.
To make up for the injury, the Texans acquired Diontae Johnson, who was waived by the Ravens last week. Houston is the same team we will play on Christmas Day.
Dell's promising rookie season last year was cut short when he broke his foot in Week 13, and the third-round pick finished with 47 catches for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games.
In April, Dell was injured during a shooting at a Florida nightclub that left innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire and injured 10 people.
Dell suffered minor injuries, but returned to the practice field three weeks later.
Quarterback CJ Stroud, a close friend of Dell's, cried Saturday when the receiver was injured.
Stroud, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, had a bit of a tough sophomore season as injuries crippled the wide receiver room. Stefon Diggs tore his ACL in October, and Nico Collins missed several games with a hamstring injury earlier this season.
Stroud played in 15 games this season, throwing for 3,492 yards, 19 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and was sacked 47 times.
In 2023, Stroud threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, five interceptions, and 38 sacks in 15 games.
However, Houston's offense has been helped by the signing of Joe Mixon, who had 967 yards rushing, 291 yards receiving and 12 total touchdowns.
The Texans, who currently own the No. 4 seed in the AFC, will play a Christmas date with Baltimore before finishing the season on the road against the Titans.
