Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans confirmed that both offensive lineman Jake Andrews (knee) and tight end Cade Stover (foot) will miss an extended period of time after suffering injuries in Week 1’s 14-9 loss against the Los Angeles Rams.
“Stover hurt his foot, so he’ll miss some time,” Ryans said Tuesday in the opening statement of his press conference. “I really hate that. He’s playing tough, physical, exactly how he want it done. So, he’ll miss some time. We’ll have to upgrade our tight end room from that perspective. [Jake] Andrews rolled his ankle, so he’ll be day-to-day. We’ll see how that goes.”
Stover, a second-year standout from Ohio State and C.J. Stroud’s tight end in college, caught a team-high four passes for 22 yards on four targets against the Rams. He’s also a highly regarded, gritty blocker who improved from Year 1 to Year 2.
The injury could be season-ending, but nothing is set in stone. As a whole, it’s another setback for a position group that’s already lost veteran Brevin Jordan for the second year in a row to a season-ending knee injury.
Dalton Schultz, who picked up two first-down receptions, is the only active tight end on the roster. The Texans have two backups in Harrison Bryant and rookie Luke Lachey on the practice squad, but they can only elevate them three times before signing them to the active roster.
As for Andrews, he’s not expected to play on Monday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers come to town for a primetime showdown on ABC. Jarrett Patterson, who started last season in 11 games, is expected to start in place of Andrews.
“Patterson has done a nice job. Patterson’s played a lot of ball for us,” Ryans said. “He filled in last year. He stepped in. Wherever guard, center, Patterson is going to give you everything he has. That’s all we expect from him. I’m encouraged with how he plays.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans coach DeMeco Ryans confirms injuries for TE Cade Stover, OL Jake Andrews
Reporting by Cole Thompson, Texans Wire / Texans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
