Who Should I Start? Michael Pittman Jr. or Tank Dell

Friday, January 10, 12:10 PM

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said that wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) will not require surgery for the fractured back that he played through late in the 2024 season. "One tough dude. Example of what you want," Ballard said. It's a testament to Pittman's toughness that he missed just one game due to his back injury. But the 27-year-old's back issues and inconsistent play from the quarterback position in Indianapolis in 2024 led to Pittman posting only 808 receiving yards -- his fewest since his rookie season in 2020 -- to go with 69 receptions (also his lowest mark since 2020) and only three touchdowns in 16 games. Better health will give him a chance to rebound in 2025, but his overall upside might be dependent on quarterback Anthony Richardson's health and his ability to improve as a passer.

Monday, January 20, 6:09 PM

Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said that it's too early to place a timetable on whether wide receiver Tank Dell (knee) will be able to play in 2025. Ryans won't speculate on whether the Texans will be searching for another receiver this offseason because of Dell's serious injury. In the Dec. 21 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the 25-year-old second-year wideout tore his ACL, MCL and LCL, dislocated his knee and suffered damage to his meniscus. He underwent the first of multiple surgeries last week, and it's very possible that he won't be able to play at all in the 2025 regular season. If Dell makes it back, he also might never be the same on the football field for the Texans as an explosive downfield threat in the passing attack. We should know more about his status for next season once training camp rolls around. Dell finished 2024 with 51 catches (81 targets) for 667 yards and three TDs in 14 games.