DeMeco Ryans said Monday that Dell Tank is working on his own timetable as the receiver continues to come back from a major knee injury, and he was not sure whether Dell will play in the Texans' preseason slate. Ryans said the work is being geared toward what is best for Tank Dell, a sign Houston is not forcing a return just to get him on the field before the regular season begins.
That matters now because the Texans are already deep into preseason work and only have so many snaps left before they open the regular season Sunday, Sept. 13 against the Bills. Dell did not play in Friday's preseason game against the Chargers, and he has been limited to individual drills as he works back from the December 2024 play that dislocated his left kneecap and tore the ACL and MCL in that knee.
Ryans did not give a firm answer on whether Dell will appear before the opener, and that uncertainty leaves Houston with a simple calculation: protect the receiver's recovery now or try to squeeze in live work before the games count. The Texans' next exhibition is Thursday versus the Raiders, which gives Dell one more chance to appear in the preseason if the team decides he is ready.
The larger picture is not complicated. Dell missed the entire 2025 campaign after the injury, so his return is not just about one exhibition game. It is about whether the Texans believe he can handle the next step without asking his knee to do more than it should this week. Ryans' answer suggested the team would rather be cautious than create a setback for a player it still needs when the season opens.
Houston has other injury questions, too, but Dell's remains the one with the most immediate impact on the offense because his status determines whether he is available for any of the remaining preseason dress rehearsals. If he does not play Thursday, the focus shifts quickly to Sunday, Sept. 13 and whether his own plan has moved him close enough to the Bills game to matter.
