22 Months Later, Texans' Tank Dell Set to Play Sunday

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell is set to play Sunday against the New York Giants, marking his first regular-season appearance in roughly 22 months since suffering a serious knee injury in 2024, according to ESPN.

The return comes after a rehabilitation stretch that kept Dell off an NFL field for nearly two full seasons. Texans beat reporter DJ Bien-Aime, who covers the team for ESPN, reported the clearance this week, with head coach DeMeco Ryans expressing anticipation for Dell's on-field debut, per the outlet's coverage.

Dell has not played in a regular-season game since the knee injury sidelined him in 2024, a gap ESPN placed at roughly 22 months heading into Sunday's matchup.

When did Tank Dell last play for the Texans?

ESPN's report frames Sunday's game as Dell's first since the 2024 knee injury, without specifying the exact calendar date of the injury or the surgery that followed. The outlet's timeline centers on the 22-month absence, which spans parts of two NFL seasons.

Who are the Texans playing Sunday?

Houston faces the New York Giants, a matchup also referenced in ESPN's reporting on New York's own personnel questions. Giants head coach Brian Daboll's staff is still finalizing a quarterback decision for the game, according to ESPN NFL reporter Jordan Raanan's separate reporting cited on the same ESPN NFL hub.

What does Dell's return mean for the Texans offense?

ESPN's report does not detail snap counts, a target share, or a specific role for Dell in his first game back, and no such figures appear in the available source material. The clearance itself is confirmed by ESPN, but statistical projections for his workload were not included in the reporting.

At a glance

• Player: Tank Dell, Texans wide receiver
• Absence: Roughly 22 months since a 2024 knee injury, per ESPN
• Opponent: New York Giants, Sunday
• Reporting source: ESPN Texans reporter DJ Bien-Aime

What to watch Sunday

• Whether Dell is active on Houston's initial offensive series or eased in later in the game
• How Ryans and the Texans coaching staff manage Dell's snap count in his first appearance back
• The Giants' own quarterback decision, which Daboll's staff was still weighing according to ESPN's Jordan Raanan
• Any in-game update on Dell's health status as the matchup unfolds

No additional medical details, timetable for a full workload, or quotes from Dell himself were included in the ESPN report reviewed for this story. Houston's game against New York is scheduled for Sunday, per ESPN's NFL coverage hub, which also tracks the Texans among this week's broader slate of matchups.

For continuing coverage of the Texans and the rest of the NFL season, ESPN's NFL page maintains updated reporting on injuries, transactions and weekly storylines across the league.