“He Did a Great Job of Holding On to the Ball”: Shannon Sharpe & Chad Johnson React to Tank Dell’s Touchdown Run That Caused Him a Gruesome Injury

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell suffered a gruesome injury on Saturday, now reported as a dislocated kneecap. The full extent of the damage isn’t yet clear, but it’s safe to say Dell is out for the season. How long it will take for the second-year receiver to return to his previous form remains uncertain.

Shannon Sharpe and Ocho Johnson shared their thoughts on the situation during the latest episode of Nightcap. While reading the injury report aloud to the audience and his co-host, Shannon praised Dell for holding on to the ball after being taken down by a defender. His foot was externally rotated outward, with a teammate even falling onto the same leg, yet the receiver didn’t let go.

“It didn’t look good. And he immediately pointed to his knee. I mean, think about it, he held on to the ball, as he knew something was going on severely with that knee. He did a great job of holding on to the ball.”

The Texans were leading by seven points 10-17 at the time of Dell’s injury in the third quarter. His 30-yard touchdown reception was a breath of fresh air, as the team closed the gap to just one point. However, the Texans didn’t get much of a break after that.

They missed the extra point after Dell’s touchdown, the first sign of weakness. Then the defense began to crumble, as the Chiefs added 10 more points in the remainder of the game. The Texans, on the other hand, managed only a field goal, adding just three more points.

It seemed that the Houston offense lost its rhythm after Dell’s injury. Quarterback CJ Stroud, who has often spoken about his close bond with Dell, was visibly emotional on the sidelines too, as his downed teammate received treatment at the back of the end zone. Dell was then carted off the field.

Chad Johnson, who has played in the NFL for over a decade, understood why Stroud lost his composure after the injury. The Nightcap host emphasized that no player, including CJ and even the Texans’ opponents on Saturday, was unaffected by the injury. While everyone is there to win, an injury that could essentially end a player’s career is never easy to process, he added.

“You look at the emotion on CJ Stroud’s face; you see players that are part of the Texans; even the Chiefs players; I think, people need to understand — I know there’s a game going on and when the whistle blows, in between the lines, you’re not friends, but you never wanna somebody part of you fraternity, somebody part of you brotherhood, you never wanna see ’em down. You never wanna see ’em hurt.”

Ocho also prayed for Dell’s fast recovery on the show. His absence will definitely be felt, as the Texans are on track to make a deep playoff run this season. For the last two regular season games, they will face two tough teams, Baltimore and Tennessee, where Dell could have caused some serious damage.