Tank Dell’s worst fears were confirmed after the Houston Texans wide receiver appeared to suffer a serious knee injury against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday.

With just under 12 minutes remaining in the third quarter of Houston’s 27-19 loss, Dell reeled in a 30-yard touchdown reception from quarterback C.J. Stroud in the back of the endzone. Upon making the catch, however, his leg collided with the helmet of teammate Jared Wayne, who was diving for the ball.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans revealed that Dell suffered a dislocated knee cap and a torn ACL, in addition to “some other thing there that he’ll have to get repaired.” He is slated to undergo surgery, thereby bringing a premature end to his 2024 season.

Over the first two years of his NFL career, Dell has battled no shortage of adversity while overcoming a myriad of health setbacks. During his rookie campaign, the 25-year-old sustained a season-ending fractured fibula. The ensuing offseason, he suffered a minor wound in a Florida shooting.

On the heels of Dell’s latest injury, Stroud struggled to fight back tears as his close friend was stretchered off the field. “It’s not easy to see your brother go down like that after dealing with a season-ending injury last season,” the signal-caller told members of the media on Monday.

“Got to just be there for him and, it’s not easy, I think everybody saw how hard I took [Dell’s injury]. There’s not a lot to say, but this isn’t the end for him, this is just another bump in the road.”

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Tank Dell suffered a serious knee injury upon colliding with his teammate in the end zone

Tank Dell suffered a serious knee injury upon colliding with his teammate in the end zone ( 

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In 14 games this season, Dell amassed 51 catches on 81 targets for 667 yards and three touchdowns. Though Stroud will now be without one of his favorite targets for the foreseeable future, he expressed confidence that the wideout will bounce back from the health setback.

“There have been plenty of players who have had season-ending injuries back-to-back,” he said. “I was talking to my agent this morning and he was talking about how Derwin James went through the same thing, Jaycee Horn as well. They’re playing good ball now, so that’s hope. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel. I think people should just give Tank a little space right now and pray for him from afar.”

According to Ryans, Stroud’s emotional response on Saturday is a testament to the Texans’ tightknit locker room. “C.J., of course he cares. Tank is one of his best friends,” he said.

“So to see one of your best friends distraught, in pain on a field like that, those emotions will come up when you truly, genuinely care about your brother. You care about your teammate.

“It was emotional for a lot of guys and it was hard to watch. But it’s also like, wow, this is a really, really tight team. You see how much guys really, truly care for each other.”