One of the big storylines of training camp is to see how the injured players from last season look and prepare to return for the new season ahead. Training camp is the time to really see how they have progressed in their recovery and if those players could be a contributor for next season.
It’s the case for any NFL team, given the number of injuries that happen. For the Houston Texans, star wide receiver Tank Dell happens to be that player. Dell will be one of the key focuses and talk of training camp due to his massive recovery from a devastating knee injury suffered in Dec. 2024.
Dell tore his ACL, MCL, and LCL, dislocated his knee and kneecap, and sustained meniscus damage as well. This is an injury that requires multiple surgeries and could have been career-ending, but not for this Texans star.
Tank Dell Turning Heads With His Incredible Workouts Before Texans Training Camp
Dell seems to have made exceptional progress on all the injuries he suffered in his left leg, and he really could be back and ready to go during training camp. The expectation is that Dell will be eventually ready around the start of the season, and it will be interesting to see how that ultimately looks. The original prognosis was that his return would be in 2026. The season is now just under two months away.
The 2023 third-round draft pick has constantly been spotted around the Texans organization over the past year and a half, and the recovery has been visible. He gradually increased his workout levels, and it looks like he’s close to his original strength and speed.
KPRC 2 NFL insider Aaron Wilson reported back in December that Dell made outstanding progress and was preparing for the 2026 season. There have been videos of him on social media training in the gym with weights, going back to this February, or out on the field training to get his leg in shape.
New Encouraging Signs From Tank Dell
The former University of Houston Cougar was now spotted working out with his former college teammate, Matthew Golden, at the UH Indoor Practice Facility earlier this week, running routes and doing drills, according to The Receiver Factory. Dell looked quick and evasive, with a great change of direction. It was a great sign.
Texans WR Tank Dell & Packers WR Matthew Golden working out together at University of Houston:
Dell’s quickness looks very impressive for somebody coming off an injury like him.
(🎥: @receiverfactory) pic.twitter.com/lWz4JpLbPf
— Jacob (@JacobBarzilla) July 19, 2026
He even worked out before this at Texans OTAs, running routes in the open field with helmets facing the defense. It was non-contact, and that’s how it will likely remain for him until much closer to the season.
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) June 4, 2026
However, the first step is for Dell to have a successful training camp and see if he can still be special in all the areas he was in before. Speed and separation have been a big part of his career, and that knee injury can be brutal for a player like him.
Based on what has been seen online, he still has that speed and separation.
Tank Dell is going to return from one of the worst injuries in all of orthopedics – a dislocated knee!
He looks FANTASTIC here.
He’s very confident that knee. You can see how aggressive he is cutting.
Great signs!!! https://t.co/DSLOwqJOoB
— Jesse Morse, M.D. (@DrJesseMorse) July 20, 2026
Wilson reported that the team will be taking a measured and cautious approach with Dell to make sure he stays on the field once he’s ready to go. There’s a chance he may miss the preseason and still not be ready to go for Week 1, but it does look like his return will happen at some point near the start of the season.
Overcoming Adversity is Tank Dell’s Story
It doesn’t look like that gruesome knee injury will stop Dell. That’s honestly fitting given the kind of story the 26-year-old has had throughout his football life. Dell initially attended Alabama A&M before transferring to Independence Community College. After that, he transferred to Houston in 2020 and became a star.
Dell had an amazing connection with quarterback C.J. Stroud in his rookie season and had 47 receptions for 709 yards and seven touchdowns. He then suffered a fractured fibula in his left leg in Week 13 and was out for the rest of the year.
That offseason in April 2024, Dell was shot during a mass shooting at a private event in Sanford, Florida, near his hometown. Dell was just a bystander in that and suffered a minor leg wound, which he was quickly treated for. He returned to Texans OTA’s soon after. Dell mentioned he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
That was all before the huge leg injury he suffered during Week 16 at the Kansas City Chiefs when he caught a touchdown pass from Stroud and collided with teammate Jared Wayne. Dell racked up 667 yards on 51 receptions and three touchdowns in 2024.
