Jul 24, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans tight end Cade Stover (87) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Texans TE Undergoes Surgery for Foot Injury

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Sep 14, 2025 8:50 PM ET

The Houston Texans will be without one of their starters on the offensive side of the ball for the foreseeable future.

According to KPRC2's Aaron Wilson, Texans tight end Cade Stover had successful surgery on his broken foot, keeping him sidelined indefinitely.

The hope for Stover is that he'll return at some point in the middle of the season, but in the meantime, he resides on the Injured Reserve list.

Stover went down with his foot injury in the final drive of the Texans' Week 1 matchup vs. the LA Rams. Head coach DeMeco Ryans would address Stover's injury earlier in the week, noting that the 25-year-old would "miss some time".

“Stover hurt his foot, so he’ll miss some time,” Ryans said. “I really hate that. He’s playing tough, physical, exactly how we want it done. So, he’ll miss some time. We’ll have to upgrade our tight end room from that perspective.”

The Texans' second-year tight end and fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft was eyeing a considerable role in Houston's offense to begin this season. During his rookie campaign, he had 15 receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown, and was positioned to smash those numbers early into the year.

Stover was sharing tight end reps with Dalton Schultz during their 9-14 loss in Los Angeles, and now being on IR, will be out of the mix for at least the next four weeks of the season, and possibly more. Against the Rams, Stover led Texans pass-catchers in catches with four, logging 22 yards in the process.

Heading into Week 2 vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Texans' tight end room will have two names: Dalton Schultz and Harrison Bryant, who was a practice squad elevation in the middle of the week to help fill in as a depth piece, acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for John Metchie earlier this offseason.

It remains to be seen what the timeline back to the field looks like for Stover this season, but for now, expect Schultz to be the one leading the way in the Texans' tight end room.