Houston Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley said that he wants to give the team's tight ends an increased role in the offense in 2026, after they fought through various injuries last season. TE Dalton Schultz missed Houston's playoff game due to a strained calf, TE Cade Stover was sidelined for an extended period after breaking his foot in the season opener and TE Brevin Jordan sustained a torn patellar tendon in training camp, leading to the Texans deploying OT/TE Blake Fisher as their main blocking tight end.

Houston Texans TE Cade Stover (hernia, knee) has recovered from offseason hernia surgery and is participating in offseason workouts, according to sources. He was also dealing with partially torn medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments after the season but did not need surgery on those injuries.

Houston Texans TE Cade Stover (knee) injured his knee during the Divisional Round playoff game, but an MRI on the knee did not show any damage to his anterior cruciate ligament, according to a source.

Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud completed 20-of-47 passes for 212 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions in the AFC Divisional Round playoff game loss to the New England Patriots. RB Woody Marks rushed 14 times for just 17 yards, while posting two receptions for 19 yards, and RB Nick Chubb ran four times for 14 yards, while going without a catch on a single target. WR Jayden Higgins led the team with six receptions, 59 yards and 10 targets, while TE Dalton Schultz (calf) had two grabs for 47 yards before leaving with a calf injury. WR Xavier Hutchinson had four catches for 44 yards on 3 targets, TE Harrison Bryant had 21 yards on three catches with six targets and TE Cade Stover (knee) had a 2-yard reception on three targets before leaving with a knee ailment. WR Christian Kirk had two catches, 20 yards and a TD on six targets.

Houston Texans TE Cade Stover (knee) left the AFC Divisional Round Game against the New England Patriots in the second half due to a knee injury, and he will not return. He had a single 2-yard catch on three targets with two runs for six yards before departing.

Houston Texans TE Cade Stover did not receive a target during the Week 17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Houston Texans TE Cade Stover ended up with two receptions for seven yards on three targets in Week 16 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Houston Texans TE Cade Stover posted three receptions for 22 yards on three targets in Week 15 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Houston Texans LB Jamal Hill (hamstring), S Jalen Pitre (concussion) and QB C.J. Stroud (concussion) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Nov. 19, and have been ruled out for Week 12. LB Azeez Al-Shaair (illness, knee), DE Will Anderson Jr. (ankle), DE Denico Autry (knee), WR Braxton Berrios (quadriceps), OT Trent Brown (hand, knee), CB Myles Bryant (ankle), WR Nico Collins (ankle), PK Ka'imi Fairbairn (quadriceps), LB Jake Hansen (elbow), OT Tytus Howard (ankle, knee), OG Ed Ingram (knee), QB Davis Mills (elbow), TE Dalton Schultz (shoulder) and TE Cade Stover (foot) fully participated in practice and are not on the injury report.

Houston Texans LB Jamal Hill (hamstring) did not practice on Tuesday, Nov. 18. LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee, illness), S Jalen Pitre (concussion), QB C.J. Stroud (concussion), LB Will Anderson Jr. (ankle), OT Tytus Howard (ankle, knee), OT Trent Brown (hand, knee), and DL Denico Autry (knee) were limited in practice on Tuesday. QB Davis Milles (elbow), WR Nico Collins (ankle), K Ka'imi Fairbairn (quad), WR Braxton Berrios (quad), CB Myles Bryant (ankle), LB Jake Hansen (elbow), G Ed Ingram (knee), TE Dalton Schultz (shoulder), and TE Cade Stover (foot) practiced in full on Tuesday.