Texans to Activate Key Offensive Weapon From Injured Reserve

It looks like the Houston Texans are getting back a big piece of their offense in the very near future.

According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the Texans are preparing to elevate tight end Cade Stover from Injured Reserve, perhaps as early as this week.

#Texans expected to designate tight end Cade Stover for return as soon as this week, per a league source. Sound recovery from broken foot, surgery @KPRC2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 10, 2025

Per Wilson, it's been a sound recovery for the 25-year-old following his broken foot that would require surgery earlier this season.

Texans' Cade Stover Close to Returning From Foot Injury

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

Stover, the Texans' second-year tight end, has been injured for the Texans since going down in Week 1 vs. the LA Rams with the injury.

Stover was anticipated to have a solid role within the Texans' offense throughout the season as their potential starting tight end, but saw his season quickly come to a halt during their opener, and thus, left him out of the fold for what's now been 10 weeks on the year.

However, Stover is seemingly trending in a solid direction for his recovery, and if all goes smoothly, could have a chance to be elevated from the IR over the course of this week.

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During the one game this season that he was active, Stover had four catches for 22 yards before he went down late in the game vs. the Rams.

Throughout his first season in the mix during 2024, he had 15 receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown, showing glimpses that he could be a quality piece of C.J. Stroud's passing attack.

While Stover's been out, it's been veteran Dalton Schultz taking ahold of those opportunities at the tight end spot, to where he's become a key piece of this passing offense next to Nico Collins. Schultz is second on the team in catches and reception yards, and could still gain some extensive looks in Houston's passing offense even when Stover returns.

When Stover does fill back into the Texans’ offense, though, it brings another nice reinforcement to a Houston unit that's had its ups and downs in the first half of the season, and can allow for Nick Caley to run a bit more 12 personnel with two solid tight ends on the field.

His status remain one worth keeping an eye on, but don't be surprised to see him back as soon as Week 11.

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