Third-year tight end Cade Stover and the Houston Texans might be at a crucial crossroads in their working relationship heading into the 2026 season.
Being selected in the fourth round out of Ohio State in the 2024 draft, Stover has yet to play a full NFL season due to multiple severe injuries. That, and his stats across his 24 regular season games played really haven't made that strong of a case for his position on the roster.
So far, he's only accumulated 27 receptions (38 targets), 209 receiving yards (7.7 average), one touchdown and only nine first downs picked up. This is made worse when you realize that his main competition for TE2 in Brevin Jordan virtually missed the last two seasons in a row with catastrophic injuries. In his absence, Stover hasn't made the most of his opportunity.
With that in mind, the Texans have proceeded with their offseason plans for roster improvement, which included bringing in several options at tight end to compete for crucial reps in the regular season. At the time of writing, Houston has a tight end room that features:
- Dalton Schultz
- Brevin Jordan
- Cade Stover
- Foster Moreau
- Marlin Klein
- Lane Pryor
With at least six men vying for what most likely will be only three slots on the 53-man roster, Stover more than has his work cut out for him. Whether it be pass-catching, blocking, route running, special teams or gadget-play packages, Stover has to bring something to the table to helps him avoid washing out of what appears to be an ascending offense heading into the 25th year of the franchise.
As of yesterday, reports indicated that Stover might've discovered what that is: Converting from a full time tight end into a hybrid fullback.
Cade Stover could convert into a fullback for Houston
According to KPRC 2 Texans Insider Aaron Wilson, Stover has been "cross-training as a blocking fullback in offensive coordinator Nick Caley's system," according to sources. If that's the case, Stover has a real chance to present an intriguing level of versatility that could be implemented throughout the course of a full campaign.
Last season, his flexibility mainly came in the form of the occasional "Stover Dozer" (or "Stover Shove"), which was Houston's version of the Philadelphia Eagles' "Tush Push". This time around, he could theoretically be on the field for a plethora of play sets that could help elevate the offense at a time where innovation could be the difference between another early playoff exit and a trip to the Super Bowl.
At least, that would be the more optimistic perception of what Stover's change would present. On the other side of the equation, there are some in the Texans' fan base who believe that the news is just a continuation of a negative personnel depth trend that has plagued the team as of late.
Texans' offensive depth has been a concern
X user @CryLawson (Rockets 2027 Champions) first made it a point to mention Stover's performance (or lack thereof) in Houston's AFC Divisional game against the New England Patriots as a basis for his skepticism on Stover as a long-term playmaker for the team. He then added a more detailed analysis of how the roster has shifted since the season ended. He expounded,
"Harrison Bryant won’t make a roster spot , Cade Stover can't compete at TE, Kirk isn’t on the team , only O-lineman that will still start will be a former rookie in Ersery. Woody Marks back to RB2 , Nick Chubb off the team."
From his prognostication, several recent transactions for the team has left the offense lacking in one way or another. The reality is, general manager Nick Caserio and head coach DeMeco Ryans have been well aware of the underperformances of the aforementioned collection of roster positions. This is why Bryant is now a Seattle Seahawk, Stover is taking fullback snaps, five new offensive linemen are now in Battle Red, David Montgomery has been traded for and multiple players have been allowed to walk in free agency.
This is inarguably been the most "offense-centric" offseason that we've seen since the organization entered its transformation phase back in 2023. While NFL games aren't played on paper, Houston has turned in one of the most productive re-tooling plans in the league thus far.
While Stover being a hybrid player may not have been the initial vision for him and the team, his willingness to adapt and Houston's willingness to accomodate the change may be emblematic of the larger messaging of the organzation at the moment.
Do what it takes to win, by any (legal) means necessary.
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