CJ Stroud, Tank Dell’s teammate and close friend, broke down in tears after Dell was taken off the field on a stretcher with a scary knee injury during the game against the Chiefs.
Stroud, visibly shaken, needed comfort from his teammates as he walked back to the sideline. After the game, he honestly talked about how worried he was about Dell’s injury.
He said, “It’s not easy to just let it go, especially (because) that’s my best friend. It’s not easy to move on and keep playing. I tried to do the best I could. My teammates helped me up. I appreciate the guys talking to me as I was going through it.”
CJ Stroud and teammates distraught after Tank Dell’s brutal knee injury on his catch for a touchdown. Just awful, man.#HTownMade pic.twitter.com/qlOzywp7n8
— Brian LaLima (@BLima790) December 21, 2024
Coach Ryans talked about Stroud’s feelings, saying, “You see your brother go down and get hurt that way, it’s hard to bounce back… It’s not just about getting back to football. We truly care about each other, and in that moment, the most important thing was making sure that Tank was OK.”
CJ Stroud Receives a special message from Patrick Mahomes
Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud faced off against Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, kicking off a potential rivalry in the AFC on Saturday night.
Mahomes, despite spraining his ankle just six days earlier, threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns. Despite their victory, Mahomes could not celebrate due to Tank Bell’s injury, which took center stage throughout the game.
Y’all got a good one. Great game, @HoustonTexans! pic.twitter.com/dAKbH4c6wn
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 21, 2024
After the game, Mahomes met Stroud on the field and told him, “Hope we see y’all in the playoffs.” He also wished Stroud’s teammate, Tank Dell, well after a tough injury, stating, “Prayers for Tank.”