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.
#Texans wide receiver Tank Dell @Tankdell4 back in his element running routes. A resilient offseason for Dell who has recovered from gunshot wound to his leg as victim in mass Florida shooting after previous broken fibula last season @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/AWn6vjTjf7
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) May 21, 2024
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.
Tank Dell was one of the best receivers in the league on out-breaking routes last season…not among rookies but all receivers.
The fact that he hit or cleared an 80% success rate on all three of the comeback, out and corner routes in #ReceptionPerception while running them at… pic.twitter.com/pUnRfL9VZ6
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) May 21, 2024
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.
#TEXANS WR TANK DELL IS BACK AND LOOKING BETTER THAN EVER.
A miraculously quick recovery after getting shot just last month.
YEAR 2 is about to be SPECIAL, @Tankdell4‼️
(VIA @DelfonteDiamond)
pic.twitter.com/uAJoHDLmRs— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) May 21, 2024
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.