After the serious knee injury from the NFL game with the Kansas City Chiefs, the diagnosis for wide receiver Tank Dell from the Houston Texans has now been confirmed.
Already on Saturday there was news that Dell had dislocated his left knee after his touchdown catch against the Chiefs. On Monday, the Texans’ head coach, DeMeco Ryans, not only confirmed this report, but also had further bad news to announce.
As Ryans explained, Dell also tore his anterior cruciate ligament, and “other things” came to light during a detailed examination of the knee. An operation will follow, but the exact date is still open.
After the injury and minutes of treatment on the field, Dell was taken to the University of Kansas Hospital, about twelve miles from Arrowhead Stadium, and spent the night there. He then flew back to Houston on Sunday.
Second serious injury for Dell
Last year, Dell broke his leg in a game against the Broncos in December and was subsequently out for the rest of his rookie season. In April, he was also shot by a teenager at an event in Florida, injuring a total of ten people. However, his injuries at that time were not serious, so he only had to be briefly examined in the hospital.
The Texans have already responded to the injury by securing the services of Diontae Johnson from the waiver wire on Monday. He had previously been released by the Baltimore Ravens and could now play for the Texans against his former team at Christmas.
It is at least doubtful whether Johnson can adequately replace the 25-year-old. Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik also suggested this: “You can’t replace Tank Dell.” Slowik explained: “Tank does some things that make him special. And he showed that on Saturday too.”