Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was visibly distraught after witnessing teammate and friend Tank Dell suffer a gruesome leg injury during their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday. The injury, which is expected to be season-ending, had a profound impact on the team and Stroud.
Stroud was brought to tears and had to be consoled by his teammates after the game. When asked how he was able to recover from the heartbreaking scene, Stroud spoke about his faith, saying, “All you can do is really pray. At the end of the day, God still gets the glory. Always, no matter what happens to me, I always know that I’m even up here because of the grace of Jesus and the grace of who He is in my life and Tank’s life.”
The Texans gathered around Dell and prayed before he was taken off the field in a covered medical cart. Stroud revealed what they prayed for, saying, “Jesus… just finding him in this moment – it’s not easy to. He’s the Prince of Peace so I just prayed His peace over Tank’s head and his mental, his physical. We serve a miraculous God and I believe in healing and I pray that the Lord can heal him.”
Dell was injured while hauling in a 30-yard touchdown pass at the start of the second half. He was taken to the University of Kansas Medical Center, where the team said he would remain overnight. The injury marks what will likely be the second season-ending injury for Dell, who also suffered a fractured fibula in his rookie campaign last season.