Tank Dell has a message for anyone who thinks his career might be over: “Quitters never win and winners never quit… simple.” The Houston Texans wide receiver posted those words on X on August 17, just hours after head coach DeMeco Ryans offered a guarded update on his recovery from a devastating knee injury.
Dell tore multiple ligaments and dislocated his kneecap during the 2024 regular season, forcing him to miss the entire 2025 campaign. Now, as the Texans prepare for the second week of preseason against the Las Vegas Raiders, the team remains cautious.
“Well, Tank, he’s on his own plan,” Ryans told reporters on August 17. “So, however that looks, whatever it entails, it’ll be all geared toward what’s best for Tank Dell.”
Ryans is notoriously tight-lipped about player injuries, choosing to protect their privacy whenever possible. He cited that belief system and his past as a player regarding Joe Mixon last season. For his part, Dell appears undeterred by the slow rollout.
Most fitting of all, the post preceding Dell’s remark on Monday was in May, in which he said, “I watched them all turn they back and leave me [black heart emoji],” including an edited image of himself in full uniform. The juxtaposition of those two messages captures a player determined to prove his doubters wrong.
Ryans has said that every healthy Texans player will play against the Raiders. It does not sound as though the Texans coaching and training staff are convinced that Dell is ready yet, though.
Still, the coach offered strong praise for the former Houston Cougars star. “He has my vote, too. We’ve taken our time to kind of ramp them up slowly,” Ryans said on SiriusXM NFL Radio on August 14. “So, our first week he was just on the side still, working, just some individual stuff with his position coach at the practice. And now, this past week, he got into routes on air. He got into group install. And yesterday, for the first time, he was able to get in the team drills.”
Ryans described watching Dell’s first rep back in team drills as a “great moment for a kid who went through such a devastating injury.” He highlighted the play in a team meeting.
“I was able to highlight him in a team meeting. It just brought a huge smile to my face,” Ryans said. “Because he was in, his first rep. He ran an outstanding slant route. Beat the corner, got the ball inside. So, it was just it was it’s beautiful to watch it.”
Ryans called Dell an early candidate for Comeback Player of the Year, but the Texans will not deviate from their plan. “Now, to see him rebound, to how much time and work that he’s put in, man, I’m proud of him. And we’ll keep giving him a little bit more every day,” Ryans said. “Planning for him to, hopefully, get out there preseason–in one of these preseason games coming up–and then be ready to go for the season.”
Dell could still prove himself to the Texans before the Raiders game. However, Ryans and Co. have operated with an abundance of caution so far.
