It was building up as an incredible breakout year for Tank Dell. The Houston rookie wide receiver had one of the best connections in the entire league with fellow rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, and the two were set to re-write the record books in the passing game.
In what will not be an incomplete season, Dell had managed to put up an explosive stat line. Houston’s third-round pick totaled 709 yards and seven touchdowns on just 47 catches. This meant that Dell was averaging a ridiculous 15.1 yards per catch, solidifying him as one of the most productive deep threats in the entire league.
#Texans WR Tank Dell, whose breakout performance this season has sparked his team’s offense, suffered a fractured fibula, source said. He’s headed for IR, as Houston loses one of its stars. pic.twitter.com/vATNSwRbAi
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 3, 2023
What becomes even more frustrating for Houston fans is the fact that Dell was clearly developing his game the further the season went along, becoming more diverse as a route runner and more explosive as a playmaker. Fellow receivers Nico Collins and Robert Woods will have to pick up the production left behind by the deep threat. The Texans will have to wait until the 2024 season to get the full experience of the connection between Dell and Stroud, and it is sure to be a good one for a long time to come.