Kansas City, Mo. — Houston Texans wide The tank deal After catching a touchdown pass from the quarterback, coach DeMicco Ryans later left the field with a “significant” knee injury. CJ Stroud In the third quarter of Saturday A 27-19 loss To Kansas City Chiefs.
Dale was taken to the University of Kansas Hospital, a Level 1 trauma center about 12 miles from Arrowhead Stadium.
A source told ESPN that Deal removed his knee cap, confirming the NFL Network report. No other possible injuries to the knee were immediately identified.
Dale will remain in the hospital overnight for further evaluation, Ryans said.
“All our thoughts and prayers are with Tonic right now,” Ryans said. “You guys can see what this means to our whole team.”
On the Texans’ first possession of the second half, Stroud threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Dale to cut Kansas City’s lead to 17–16. But on reception, wide Jared Wayne Deep in the end zone hit Dale’s lower leg, and Dale immediately grabbed his leg but otherwise barely moved.
A few players were in tears before Texans circled Dale and put his leg in an air cast and sent him to the back of the cart. I was picked up. Second year wide outs Houston Was instrumental against the Chiefs, as he had a team-high 98 yards on seven catches with a touchdown.
“It’s sad to see him go down like that,” Ryans said. “He was playing a great game.”
Houston had three possessions after Dale was injured and scored just three points. Unit got the ball with 5:13 left and trailing 27-19, but after two negative plays, Stroud was sacked on third down, leading to a punt. The Chiefs offense later picked up multiple first downs and ran out the clock.
Stroud, who broke down in tears after the injury, sent his prayers to Dale postgame.
“It’s not easy to see your brother go down like that,” Stroud said. “I’m just torn.
“But at the same time, I have to be strong for it. For anything, whether it’s left or right, up or down, I have to praise my Lord and Savior. It’s not easy, but after that . [the injury] I try to use it as motivation, it’s not easy to let go. He is my best friend. It’s not easy to move on and just keep playing. I tried to do my best. My colleagues helped me, Which [Mixon] Helped me and Dalton [Schultz]. I just appreciate the guys talking to me because I was going through it.”
Texans by and large Nico Collinswho finished with seven catches for 60 yards, struggled to find the words to express his emotions after the game.
“It— it hurts. It hurts,” he said. “We know how much he meant to this team. But to lose a brother of yours, man, it hurts. Get well soon for my dog. Mentally he’s going through it, but we’ve got him. You have to keep moving, you have to keep climbing.”
Dell’s rookie season in 2023 was cut short when he broke his leg in an early December game against Dell. Denver Broncos. Earlier this past offseason, he was shot at a private event in Sanford, Florida, where authorities said a teenage gunman injured 10 people after an altercation. Dale’s injuries were minor, and he was released from the hospital shortly after the April 28 shooting.
Dale has 667 receiving yards and three touchdowns on the season.
Dale’s injury was the third major lower leg injury for the Texans on the afternoon. First in the game, guard Shock Mason Suffered a knee injury, and a safety, in the first quarter Jimmy Ward In the second, he injured his foot. The ward was closed, and Mason limped after the bodies fell on his knee but was rejected shortly after.
The Texans have just three days to recover from the loss, when they play. Baltimore Ravens Christmas day.