HOUSTON – Not having gritty tight end Cade Stover available due to a hairline fracture of his broken foot is a setback for the Texans’ retooled offense.

Stover is a key player, catching all four passes thrown to him during a season-opening road loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He’s also a hard-nosed blocker who’s a big factor in the running game.

Although Stover is expected to return this season at some point, he is a candidate for short-term injured reserve. Duplicating his physicality represents a tall order.

“Stover hurt his foot, so he’ll miss some time,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I really hate that. He’s playing tough, physical, exactly how we want it done. So, he’ll miss some time. We’ll have to upgrade our tight end room from that perspective.”

The Texans are expected to ha

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