Somehow, Tank Dell held onto the ball.
On Saturday, the Houston Texans receiver hauled in a pass in the end zone but as he grabbed it, teammate Jared Wayne was also diving for the deep ball. Wayne crashed into Dell’s left leg and it was pretty clear right away that Dell had suffered a serious leg injury.
Dell’s teammates were immediately concerned for him. Wayne and Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud both appeared to be in tears as the cart came out for Dell. Stroud had to be consoled by multiple teammates right after the injury.
Dell, unsurprisingly, was ruled out. The Texans tweeted a message of support for Dell not long after:
A year ago Dell’s rookie season was cut short when he suffered a fractured fibula. Dell was put on a stretcher and put on the cart as several teammates gathered around him.
If Dell’s injury is as bad as it looked, it’s a massive blow for the Texans. The Texans already lost Stefon Diggs to a season-ending knee injury. Dell had 569 yards and two touchdowns this season. He was having a big day Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs with 98 yards and a touchdown.
The level of concern for Dell was rare, due to the severity of the injury and what he obviously means to his teammates. For a second straight year, Dell’s season has seemingly come to a premature end with a serious injury.
