Houston Texans receiver Tank Dell has been released from the hospital and is returning home, head coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters Sunday.
Ryans said the team will be evaluating next options when it comes to Dell’s knee injury.
Dell was taken to the University of Kansas Medical Center after sustaining a severe left knee injury while making a 30-yard touchdown catch in a 27-19 loss to the Chiefs on Saturday.
Dell was coming across the back of the end zone and made a spectacular catch on a pass from C.J. Stroud before colliding with Houston teammate Jared Wayne on the way to the ground. Dell immediately grabbed at his knee, and Wayne signalled for team trainers, who spent several minutes working on the wide receiver while teammates waited anxiously.
Dell was eventually placed on a stretcher and driven in a covered medical cart off the field, and then he was taken to the hospital.
Dell had six catches for 98 yards and the touchdown when he was hurt with 11:40 left in the third quarter.
Stroud, who is one of Dell’s closest friends, was visibly shaken. He had tears in his eyes as he watched Dell get loaded onto the cart, and Stroud was still being consoled by teammates when he walked back to the Houston sideline.
“It’s not easy to just let it go, especially (because) that’s my best friend. It’s not easy to move on and keep playing,” Stroud said. “I tried to do the best I could. My teammates helped me up. I appreciate the guys talking to me as I was going through it.”
The touchdown should have tied the game, but Ka’imi Fairbairn missed the ensuing extra point. The Chiefs took advantage of the momentum swing and marched 80 yards for a touchdown and a 24-16 lead, and they put away the game from there.
“You see your brother go down and get hurt that way, it’s hard to bounce back,” Ryans said. “You see him and how distraught he was, it’s hard to bounce back. It’s hard to rebound, because we care about each other. It’s not just about getting back to football. We truly care about each other, and in that moment, the most important thing was making sure that Tank was OK.”
It’s the second straight year Dell has sustained what is 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 on it the following day.
—With files from the Associated Press.
