Recovering from injury and gunshot wounds never looked so easy.
Last season, then first-year wide receiver Tank Dell had the most exciting run of games for a rookie pass catcher in Houston since Will Fuller V. Unfortunately, Dell’s exciting campaign ended when he broke his leg in week 13 against the Denver Broncos.
After 11 games, with eight starts, Dell caught 47 passes for 709 yards, a whopping 15.1 yard per catch average and seven touchdowns. He also added another 51 yards on 11 runs, with a 4.6 yard per carry average.
While some are never the same after suffering a broken fibula, Dell was well on his way to full recovery when the second tragedy struck. Last month, Dell was in the wrong place at the wrong time when a bullet fired by a mass shooter struck the young receiver.
Now, roughly a month later, Dell is lighting up the practice field at Houston Texans HQ.
Ready to build on last season’s success, Dell is putting in the work necessary to help elevate the Texans offense once again in 2024.
Not only was he one of the best rookie receivers last year, he was one of the NFL’s best receivers, period.
Not sure what secret sauce Dell is drinking, but if his recovery skills can spread across the whole team, the Texans might have the injury bug vaccine.
And, with a healthy Dell in the lineup, quarterback C.J. Stroud will have more weapons than an opposing defense can ever hope to stop.
Based on last season’s stats, if Dell can compete in all 17 games in 2024, he’ll eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in week 16. With Nico Collins, Stefan Diggs and Dalton Schultz out there grabbing passes too, Stroud should easily pass for more than 5,000 yards this year.
What a great time to be a Texans fan! Get ready for some fireworks on the field and off.
