Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell authored an awesome moment in his return Sunday after spending two years on the sideline due to a severe leg injury.
Dell was activated for his 2026 debut this week, and had promised to spike the ball after his first catch no matter how insignificant the yardage gain was.
#Texans WR Tank Dell on playing Sunday for the first time since his devastating knee injury in 2024: “I don’t care if the first catch is 2 yards, 5 yards—I’m spiking the ball and doing what I gotta do. It’s gonna feel good. … I’m ready to get tackled. I’m gonna be joyful.”🙏💯 https://t.co/YwSGpp1NE4
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 21, 2026
Dell meant what he said. He made his first catch late in the first half of Sunday’s game against the New York Giants, a 42-yard gain off a tipped ball. He did, in fact, celebrate with a mini-spike.
Tank Dell indeed did a mini spike of the football. Really cool moment https://t.co/5B6TDUNCV2
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) October 25, 2026
There is no question that Dell earned the moment. He suffered a career-threatening leg injury late in the 2024 season that caused him to miss all of 2025 and the first portion of 2026. Even if his role is fairly small for now, his return should provide a huge morale boost for the Texans.
Dell flashed plenty of promise during his first two seasons. In 25 games, he caught 98 passes for 1,376 yards and 10 touchdowns.
