When it rains, it pours. If not, just ask the Houston Texans. Not only did C.J. Stroud and DeMeco Ryans find out that the NFL fined many of their own, but the team also lost to the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday. To make things worse, wide receiver Tank Dell left the game on a stretcher.
Ryans addressed the media on Sunday to provide an update on Dell, who injured his knee after catching a touchdown pass from Stroud. The Texans head coach couldn’t reveal the extent of his injury, but it doesn’t look good.
“We don’t know,” said Ryans, who let everyone know that Dell was flying back to Houston after spending the night in Kansas City. “We’re still evaluating that to see what will happen. He still has to talk to doctors and go through all the procedures.”
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Dell suffered a dislocated knee cap. Either way, the wideout is expected to miss time. So are the Texans considering to add a new player at the position?
Ryans made it clear that while it’s still too soon to tell, the Texans will try and put Stroud in a position to succeed: “A little early right now for me when it comes to that. But we’re always exploring everything we have to do to improve our team.”
The Texans’ in-house options to replace Dell
Dell has been Stroud’s most reliable pass catcher since they entered the NFL together in 2023. The Texans added a star weapon for Stroud in the form of Stefon Diggs in 2024, but the wideout suffered a season-ending torn ACL in October.
With Dell on the sidelines, it would make sense to see John Metchie III embrace a bigger role on Stroud’s offense. However, the third-year wide receiver was out against the Chiefs on Saturday with a shoulder injury.
The other wideouts on the Texans’ active roster are Nico Collins, Robert Woods, Steven Sims, and Xavier Hutchinson. If necessary, Ryans can also look at the practice squad, where the team has Jared Wayne, Xavier Johnson, and Johnny Johnson III.
Outside names to help C.J. Stroud
In the event Ryans decides to look at outside options to help Stroud, the likes of Odell Beckham Jr. and Diontae Johnson could be names to watch. While the former was released by the Miami Dolphins, the latter was cut by the Baltimore Ravens. Both players could use a fresh start to get their careers back on track and prove their doubters wrong.