Player
Cade Stover
TE · Texans
Stover's arc shows how depth TEs can stagnate when injury interrupts a fragile foothold — his role never expanded beyond a rotational piece even before the 2025 setback.
14 rookie games, 133 yards, 1 TD — then a 10-week absence in Year 2 that dropped him to TE3.
TrendStover by season (regular season)
| Season | G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 14 | 22 | 15 | 133 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 16 | 12 | 76 | 0 |
Stover was the 123rd pick of the 2024 draft — a 4th-round TE out of Ohio State who entered as the clear backup behind Dalton Schultz. He appeared in 14 of 17 regular-season games as a rookie (sat out Weeks 1, 14–16) and finished with 15 catches for 133 yards and 1 TD (Week 12 vs TEN).
Year 2 has been derailed by injury: he played Week 1, then missed Weeks 2–11, and returned as a 3rd TE. His 2025 regular-season line through Week 18: 12 catches for 76 yards across 6 games with zero touchdowns. His average target share rose from 5.5% (2024) to 8.6% (2025) — but over far fewer appearances.
Receiving yards per season (regular season)
| Season | Rec Yds |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 133 |
| 2025 | 76 |
Why it matters. Stover's arc shows how depth TEs can stagnate when injury interrupts a fragile foothold — his role never expanded beyond a rotational piece even before the 2025 setback.
10-week absence in 2025 — when he returned, 8 catches on 12 targets at 6.8 ypc, all underneath.
Anomaly2025 regular-season game log
| Week | Opp | Tgt | Rec | Yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LA | 4 | 4 | 22 |
| 12 | BUF | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | IND | 2 | 2 | 16 |
| 15 | ARI | 3 | 3 | 22 |
| 16 | LV | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| 18 | IND | 2 | 1 | 9 |
After a 4-catch, 22-yard opener vs the Rams, Stover was absent from Weeks 2–11 — a full 10-game stretch. He returned in Week 12 vs Buffalo with a 0-catch game and was limited to 2–3 targets per appearance thereafter.
Post-return regular-season line (W12–18): 8 catches on 12 targets for 54 yards — an average of 6.75 yards per reception, all short-area routes. His 0% regular-season red-zone target rate in 2025 sums up the role: reliable outlet, not a scoring option.
Why it matters. A 10-week disappearance from a roster spot that was already borderline effectively ends any chance of a year-over-year progression argument.
5th among 6 Round-4 TEs in the 2024 draft class — Brock Bowers matched his entire career output in 4 games.
Comparison2024 TE draft class — career regular-season receiving
| Player | Rd | Pick | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brock Bowers | 1 | 13 | 176 | 1874 | 12 |
| Ben Sinnott | 2 | 53 | 16 | 142 | 2 |
| Tip Reiman | 3 | 82 | 9 | 55 | 0 |
| Theo Johnson | 4 | 107 | 74 | 859 | 6 |
| AJ Barner | 4 | 121 | 82 | 764 | 10 |
| Ja'Tavion Sanders | 4 | 101 | 62 | 532 | 2 |
| Cade Stover | 4 | 123 | 27 | 209 | 1 |
| Erick All | 4 | 115 | 20 | 158 | 0 |
| Jared Wiley | 4 | 131 | 2 | 11 | 0 |
The 2024 TE class was unusually deep at Round 4. Among the six Round-4 TEs, Stover ranks 5th in receiving yards (209) behind Johnson (859), Barner (764), Sanders (532), and All (158).
Brock Bowers (Round 1) accumulated 209 career receiving yards in just his first 4 regular-season games of 2024 — Stover's entire two-year total in a single month of Bowers.
Why it matters. Contextualizing Stover against his draft cohort exposes that his limited production isn't just scheme — several Round-4 TEs taken near him have broken out while he remains a depth piece.
Career receiving high: 28 yards (playoff game vs LAC). His best regular-season game is 26 yards and a TD vs TEN.
SplitStover top games by receiving yards
| Season | Week | Opp | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | W19 (WC) | LAC | 4 | 4 | 28 | 0 |
| 2024 | W12 | TEN | 4 | 3 | 26 | 1 |
| 2024 | W4 | JAX | 1 | 1 | 27 | 0 |
| 2025 | W1 | LA | 4 | 4 | 22 | 0 |
| 2025 | W15 | ARI | 3 | 3 | 22 | 0 |
Stover's single-game ceiling is 28 receiving yards — set in Houston's Wild Card win over the Chargers (January 2025, not a regular-season game). His best regular-season output by yards is technically Week 4 2024 vs Jacksonville: 1 target, 1 catch, 27 yards.
His most impactful game was Week 12 vs Tennessee: 4 targets, 3 catches, 26 yards, 1 TD — the only touchdown of his NFL career. In 22 regular-season appearances, he has never hit 30 receiving yards in a game.
Why it matters. A career single-game high of 28 yards (in a playoff game) underscores that Stover has not yet had a breakout moment even by depth-TE standards.
1 career TD in 20 regular-season games — his lone score came Week 12, 2024 vs Tennessee.
MilestoneStover career red-zone targets (regular season)
| Season | G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 14 | 22 | 15 | 133 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 16 | 12 | 76 | 0 |
| Total | 20 | 38 | 27 | 209 | 1 |
Stover's lone NFL touchdown came Nov 24, 2024 vs Tennessee — stat line: 4 targets, 3 catches, 26 yards, 1 TD. The Texans won 32–27.
Through 20 regular-season games, he has 38 targets, 27 catches, 209 yards, and 1 TD — a 2.6% touchdown rate on targets. Houston's 2025 TE passing game has run almost entirely through Dalton Schultz (82 rec, 777 yds, 3 TDs in 2025 regular season); Stover has seen zero red-zone targets in 2025.
Why it matters. A single touchdown over two seasons reflects that Stover's role is purely as an underneath outlet — his usage puts a structural ceiling on his scoring upside regardless of volume.
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