KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Houston Texans wideout Tank Dell suffered what coach DeMeco Ryans later called a “significant” knee injury after catching a touchdown pass from quarterback CJ Stroud in the third quarter of Saturday’s 27-19 loss. I went out of the stadium. To the Kansas City Chiefs.
Dell was transported to the University of Kansas Hospital, a Level 1 trauma center about 12 miles from Arrowhead Stadium.
A source told ESPN that Dell dislocated his kneecap, confirming an NFL Network report. It was not immediately known if there were other potential injuries to the knee.
Ryans said Dell will remain in the hospital overnight for further evaluation.
“All of our thoughts and prayers are with Tank right now,” Ryans said. “You can see what he means to our entire team.”
On the Texans’ first possession of the second half, Stroud threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Dell to cut Kansas City’s lead to 17-16. But on the reception, Houston wideout Jared Wayne collided with Dell’s lower leg deep in the end zone, and Dell immediately grabbed his leg but did little else.
The Texans rallied around Dell and several players were in tears before his legs were placed in an air cast and hoisted onto the back of a cart. The second-year wideout from Houston was playing a key role against the Chiefs. He had a team-high 98 yards on seven catches with a touchdown.
“It breaks my heart to see him fall like that,” Lyons said. “He was playing fantastic.”
Houston had three possessions after Dell was injured and was limited to three points. The unit got the ball with 5:13 left and trailing 27-19, but after two negative plays, Stroud was sacked on third down, leading to a punt. The Chiefs’ offense subsequently picked up multiple first downs and ran out timeouts.
Stroud, who was in tears after the injury, offered his prayers to Dell after the game.
“It’s not easy to see my brother fall like that,” Stroud said. “It was just torn.
“But at the same time, I have to be strong for Him. I have to praise my Lord and Savior wherever I go, left or right, up or down. It won’t be easy, but I will get there later. [the injury]I try to use that as motivation. It’s not easy to just let it go. That’s my best friend. It’s not easy to keep going and keep playing. I tried to do my best. My teammates helped me, Joe. [Mixon] Helped me and Dalton too. [Schultz]. “I’m thankful for the people who spoke to me because this is what I’m going through.”
Texas wideout Nico Collins, who finished the game with seven catches for 60 yards, struggled to find words to express his emotions after the game.
“It hurts. It hurts. We know how much he means to this team,” Collins said of Dell. “But it breaks your heart to lose one of your brothers. My dog needs to recover quickly. Mentally, he’s struggling, but we’ve got to keep stepping up for him and keep climbing.”
Dell’s 2023 rookie season was cut short after he suffered a broken leg in a game against the Denver Broncos in early December. In late April, he was shot at a private event in Sanford, Florida, where authorities said a teenage gunman left 10 people wounded after an altercation. Dell’s injuries were minor and he was released from the hospital shortly after the shooting.
Dell had 667 receiving yards and three touchdowns on the season.
Dell’s injury was Texas’ third major leg injury of the afternoon. Guard Shaq Mason suffered a knee injury during a pileup in the first quarter. He was limping but was ruled out shortly afterwards. Safety Jimmie Ward was forced out in the second quarter with a foot injury.
The Texans have just three days left to recover from their loss as they are scheduled to host the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day.
