Overview
- Reports say Dell agreed to a reworked one-year contract worth $1.7 million with $1.0 million guaranteed that yields roughly $2 million in near-term cap savings for the Texans.
- The team placed Dell on injured reserve with a designation to return and GM Nick Caserio said Dell is “close” but not fully ready, meaning he must miss at least the league’s four-game minimum before a practice window can open.
- Houston has supplemented a depleted receiving corps after Jayden Higgins suffered an ACL tear by adding Kayshon Boutte and relying on Nico Collins, Xavier Hutchinson, and Jaylin Noel for early snaps.
- Dell built a strong rapport with quarterback C.J. Stroud before his injury, totaling 98 catches and 10 touchdowns in 25 games, a track record that makes his return important to the Texans’ passing attack.
- Because 2026 is the final year of his rookie deal, Dell enters the season as a pending free agent and a productive late-2026 return could determine whether he signs a second Texans contract or tests the open market.