Tank

Dell

It sounds likely that the Texans will be on the lookout for some supplemental help at receiver with Stefon Diggs (torn ACL) a free agent and only John Metchie and Xavier Hutchinson on contracts behind Nico Collins. C.J. Stroud campaigned for the team to keep Diggs. The truth of the matter is that the Texans are going to need at least one more major receiver addition ahead of the 2025 season if they can’t count on Dell to play at all this season. By not putting a timeline on it, what they are saying is that they hope to be happily surprised.

Dell suffered a brutal knee injury in the Texans’ Week 16 loss to the Chiefs. The second-year receiver not only dislocated his knee but also suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and LCL while damaging his meniscus. He faces a long road to recovery, and there’s been no official timeline given for his 2025 return, but with more surgeries still scheduled, it could be a while before Dell gets back on a football field in any capacity.

Aaron Wilson adds that he also tore the MCL, LCL, and has meniscus damage. Obviously, he will not be playing again this year. The question at this point is 2025. Dell isn’t a sure bet to return given how serious the injury looked, and if he does return, like this year, he probably shouldn’t be trusted as fully healthy. It’s a devastating injury for the Texans purposes, one that probably ends with them having to find a new WR2 behind Nico Collins with Stefon Diggs also slated for free agency off his own ACL tear.

Absolutely devastating news for a talented wide receiver coming off a lost rookie season due to a horrible ankle injury. Dell will remain hospitalized overnight for evaluation following the gruesome injury suffered on a touchdown catch in the second half of the team’s Week 16 loss to the Chiefs. He now faces yet another uphill battle to rehab from a major injury, the most recent of which is likely to extend into the 2025 season.

He was carted off on a stretcher by ambulance after a scene that took several commercial breaks to unfold. Several Texans players had tears in their eyes. Dell finished with a 6/98/1 line, he was hurt on a touchdown catch and had finally looked to have regained his form from 2023. This has the look of a devastating injury that could linger well into the 2025 calendar year if not longer. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said after the game that Dell will stay overnight in a Kansas City hospital and called it a “significant knee injury.”

He also had a 15-yard rush. This offense just isn’t good enough to handle supporting receivers as things currently stand. It’s Nico Collins or nothing in the Texans receiver corps. Dell has not scored or topped 100 yards since Halloween. He’s a WR4/FLEX at best.

Dell was the intended target on a bomb by C.J. Stroud late in the first quarter, but Ronald Darby was able to defense the pass on a debatably-close non-pass interference call. When the Texans deep passing game isn’t firing, and Nico Collins is available, Dell will struggle to be a worthwhile fantasy football option. He doesn’t necessarily have to be rostered for Week 14 if you are in a bye week crunch, though it’s entirely possible the Texans come back from the bye focused on making him a bigger part of the offense.

Dell had a 39-yard catch to set up Houston’s second touchdown drive, but otherwise was more of a bystander than you’d like and had a key ball over the middle defensed by Jarvis Brownlee in the fourth quarter. We suppose if he was ever going to live up to the WR3/FLEX hype it would be against the Jaguars next week, but Dell hasn’t been in the end zone in a month and doesn’t have a 10-target game all season.

Dell matched Nico Collins in targets, receptions, and yardage, but it was clear on the field who the alpha pass-catcher is in this offense now that Collins is healthy again. Collins had a 77-yard touchdown called back for an ineligible man downfield on the first play from scrimmage and also had another catch overturned after a successful challenge, with Dell seeing most of his usage as the second read in the offense. Dell will always see a few designed touches to leverage his upside with the ball in his hands, but the volume behind those schemed looks is largely lacking with Collins back in the fold. Dell could struggle to return consistent WR3 numbers the rest of the way.

Dell and the Texans appeared to be cruising to a convincing upset over the Lions after taking a 23-7 lead into the half. Even while picking off Lions quarterback Jared Goff five times, the Texans were outscored 19-0 after the break to fall to 6-4. Never likely to be useful as a team’s top option through the air, Dell could find more room to maneuver once Nico Collins returns from a five-game absence, which appears likely to occur in Week 11 after the alpha wide receiver was activated from injured reserve this week. Dell will look to take advantage of a soft matchup against the Cowboys his next time out.