Texans' Cade Stover Undergoes Emergency Appendectomy, Expected to Make Full Recovery

The Houston Texans will be without tight end Cade Stover for Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins after he underwent an emergency appendectomy Saturday night.

Kristie Rieken of the Associated Press noted Sunday that, while Stover will miss time in the immediate future, the team expects him to make a full recovery.

The rookie was initially added to the injury report Saturday and listed as questionable to play because of an illness before Houston revealed the surgery and his updated status.

Stover was a fourth-round pick out of Ohio State in the 2024 NFL draft and has been a modest contributor in his first season. He has 14 catches for 132 yards and one touchdown through 13 games as the No. 2 tight end behind Dalton Schultz.

Stover could have a bright future with the Texans, as he is familiar with quarterback C.J. Stroud since they played in college together. He scored a touchdown in the team's Week 12 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

While Houston will continue relying on Schultz as its primary tight end, it will need more depth at the position against the Dolphins.

It responded by elevating tight end Irv Smith Jr. to the game-day roster from the practice squad.

The veteran Smith has been in the league since he was a second-round pick out of Alabama in the 2019 NFL draft. He has played for the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals in his career, although he has appeared in just one game for the Texans this season without a catch.

Houston will be on a short week following Sunday's game against Miami with a Saturday showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs looming, so Stover's status will be one to monitor in the coming days.