Overview
- Tank Dell has been placed on injured reserve and will miss at least the first four regular-season games while the Texans monitor his recovery and confidence before opening a practice window.
- General manager Nick Caserio said Dell is “close” but still needs work on top-end speed and mental readiness, and the team expects a clearer picture after the four-week window.
- Right tackle Braden Smith, who was carted off in late-August practice, is also on IR with a designation to return and is expected to miss roughly four to six weeks while veteran Trent Brown steps in.
- NFL rules allow players on IR to begin practicing after the minimum four-week period and then give the club 21 days to activate or make a roster decision, a sequence the Texans plan to use for both players.
- Dell tore multiple knee ligaments late in the 2024 season and missed 2025, so Houston is taking a cautious, staged approach that hands short-term roles to Nico Collins, Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel and recent addition Kayshon Boutte.