Texans wide receiver Tank Dell had to be carted off the field Saturday … after suffering a bad injury while catching a touchdown pass.

The Houston standout was playing in Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs … running a deep route into the endzone early in the second half of the game.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud threw a perfect pass to Dell, falling right into his arms … but, his teammate Jared Wayne was right next to him and dove for the ball — his body slamming full force into Dell’s leg.

Check out the side view … it appears his knee is bent the wrong way by the collision — and, he’s clearly in agony after the hit, lying unmoving as the trainers attend to him.

Even in the world of football — obviously a physically brutal game — this injury really affected the players on the field … with Stroud and others breaking down in tears after the hit.

News of the exact nature of the injury hasn’t come out yet … but, many online are assuming this is an ACL or MCL injury.

Dell played in 14 games this season … but missed several games last season with a fractured fibula — so, he’s had to overcome an injury recently.