The Houston Texans revised Tank Dell’s contract last week, creating performance and roster bonuses tied to his return from a serious knee injury. The agreement was detailed publicly Sept. 11, ahead of Houston’s Week 1 matchup with the Buffalo Bills.
Under the revised terms, Dell can recover some of the money affected by the change if he is active for the final 13 games and plays at least half of the Texans’ offensive snaps. Additional incentive levels are included, with the maximum potential value listed at $3.645 million.
The deal adds as much as $1.5 million to Dell’s existing $1.704 million figure, which includes a $1.145 million salary and a $500,000 signing bonus. He can receive $300,000 for reaching a 30% offensive snap share, plus another $300,000 for each additional 5% increase through 50%. He also can earn $38,461 for every game in which he is active through roster bonuses.
Dell is on injured reserve with a designation that allows a possible return and will miss at least the first four games while recovering from a 2024 knee injury that included a dislocation and tears to the ACL, MLC and LCL. A return could come by Houston’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, although the timing remains dependent on his rehabilitation and work in team drills.
Once Houston opens Dell’s 21-day practice window, the team will have that period to decide whether to activate him. If the window expires without an activation, he would return to injured reserve and miss the rest of the 2026 season. The report said that outcome was not considered a current concern.
