As recovery hurdles linger for the dynamic wideout, Houston faces a sudden depth chart shakeup. Discover which emerging targets must step up while Dell’s week one availability remains uncertain.
The Houston Texans offense is the story of the team's offseason the last few months. While starting quarterback C.J. Stroud has commanded plenty of headlines, the wide receiver room has raised questions of its own.
Among the questions people are asking is, when will Tank Dell be ready to start at receiver, and what caliber of player will he be when he does join the starting lineup.
Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle is not expecting Texans wide receiver Tank Dell to be ready for Game 1. With that, there are questions over who will start the season as the team's No. 2 wideout opposite Nico Collins.
Here's some of what Alexander had to say on Dell's availability and what it could mean for the receiving corps.
"Dell began practicing during the second week of camp in a limited capacity, doing mostly individual drills and a few 11-on-11 reps. But he hasn't practiced in the view of the media the past three days.
While two league sources say he hasn't suffered a setback, he's not yet at the point where he can practice daily. It doesn't appear that Dell will participate in the team's final preseason game, either. And the Texans have only three weeks of practice left before their Sept. 13 opener. So whether he'll be available by then doesn't seem likely.
That may mean the Texans need to keep seven receivers instead of six on their 53-man roster as they await his return full-time.
Jayden Higgins was supposed to be the No. 2 wide receiver opposite of Nico Collins, but that is now in flux after Higgins' ACL injury.
The two logical candidates to replace that production are Xavier Hutchinson, who took a step forward last season and is in a contract year, and Jaylin Noel, who showed he had an ability to make plays."
Jul 31, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (1) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn ImagesNobody knows if Dell is capable of regaining the same explosive play ability he had before injury, but there is optimism he can return to some semblance of the great player he was before it. The question is, how long will it be before that happens, and can the Texans count on Dell this year?
The reality is that you can't count on him until you see him take the field and play a complete regular season game. Even then, there's no guarantee he can sustain it for an entire season.
The Texans may not need a healthy Dell to reach their goals this season, but it would certainly help. Dell will hope to get back in the starting lineup in 2026.
