Texans opening practice window for Tank Dell

Published October 5, 2026 02:32 PM Texans wide receiver Tank Dell is getting closer to a return.Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans said today that he expects to open the 21-day practice window for Dell, which suggests that the Texans think Dell could be on the active roster within three weeks.Dell has not played since December of 2024, when he suffered a devastating knee injury. That injury caused him to miss the rest of 2024 and all of 2025, and in training camp this year he had a setback.The Texans picked Dell in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft, and he showed a lot of promise in his first two seasons, with 98 catches for 1,376 yards and 10 touchdowns through his first 25 career games before the injury. Whether he’ll ever be back to full speed remains to be seen, but the struggling Texans would love to see him making plays in their offense again.Ryans said the Texans are also planning to open the practice windows for offensive tackle Braden Smith and defensive tackle Kayden McDonald.