Tank Dell returned to Houston after the Texans star spent Saturday night in a Kansas City hospital with a gruesome knee injury suffered in the NFL game against the Chiefs.
Speaking Sunday afternoon, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Dell was on his way home but the prognosis of his injury was still unclear. On Saturday night it was reported that Dell had dislocated his knee.
“Right now, he’s flying back to Houston,” Ryans said. “We’ll still be evaluating, seeing where he is, meeting with the doctors to see what’s next for him, but it’s a significant knee injury, and our thoughts and prayers are with him.”
“We would really like to thank the Kansas City medical team, the doctors and their staff for being so helpful,” Ryans added. ‘For helping with Tank, giving him a room and preparing him. I really thought those guys did a really amazing job.
“(Head athletic trainer) Rick Burkholder and his staff did an incredible job and are very grateful to the entire Kansas City organization and their medical team.”
Ryans said he has been in contact with Dell, but did not share any information about their conversations.
Tank Dell hospitalized with slippery knee injury as Texans lost to Chiefs
Dell has suffered a major knee injury and several reports say he dislocated his knee.
Dell’s Texans teammate CJ Stroud appeared to be fighting back tears at the sight of the injury.
Texans quarterback CJ Stroud appeared to be fighting back tears during Saturday’s long delay while Dell was treated by doctors.
Ryans said his team is still processing what happened, explaining, “We’re talking about real people who have real emotions, real feelings who are going through a difficult time right now.”
“So just some thoughts and prayers with everyone involved in this situation.”
Dell had six receptions for 98 yards and the touchdown when he was injured with 11:40 left in the third quarter at Arrowhead Stadium.
It is the second year in a row that Dell has suffered what is almost certain to be a season-ending injury. He fractured his fibula in Week 13 against the Broncos last season, just as the rookie was breaking out, and had surgery the next day.
Then in April, the 25-year-old was an innocent bystander at a private event in Sanford, Florida, when he suffered a minor gunshot wound. Dell spent a brief time in the hospital but was able to return to Houston shortly after.
Dell, a third-round pick out of the University of Houston last year, ranks second on the team with 51 receptions for 667 yards and three touchdowns.
His injury is another blow to a team that was already missing Stefon Diggs after the four-time Pro Bowl receiver suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 8.
The Texans lost to the Chiefs 27-19 in the end and will try to get back to winning ways on Christmas Day against the Baltimore Ravens.
Ryans was coy about questions about which team would sign a new wide receiver given Dell’s absence.
“It’s a little early for me right now,” he said. “But we are always exploring everything we have to do to improve our team.”