Week 1 of the 2025 NFL regular season was unforgettable for the Houston Texans, who lost a winnable game, 14-9, to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday afternoon.
The Rams didn’t do anything spectacular on offense as the Texans' defense held them to 14 points. Meanwhile, the Texans’ offense was shut out of the end zone as they were only able to convert three field goals.
On top of the result on the scoreboard, the Texans also saw second-year tight end Cade Stover sustain a broken foot. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC-2, Stover will be out indefinitely and was seen in a walking boot after Sunday’s game.
This isn’t ideal news for Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans to start the season, as Houston is already without Brevin Jordan due to a significant injury during training camp. With Stover out, the only healthy tight end on the 53-man roster is Dalton Schultz.
Harrison Bryant Gifted with Huge Opportunity Following Cade Stover Injury
That being said, the Texans should promote veteran Harrison Bryant to the 53-man roster, giving them another tight end who has starting experience.
The Texans acquired Bryant last month from the Philadelphia Eagles in the John Metchie III trade. The 27-year-old Bryant, who signed a one-year deal with the Eagles, likely wasn’t going to make their 53-man roster as the TE3, prompting a move to Houston.
For the veteran pass catcher, this is a huge opportunity to show the Texans and the rest of the league that he can still be a quality TE2. In his first few years in the league, Bryant was a solid complement to David Njoku with the Browns.
The 6-foot-5 pass catcher racked up 76 receptions (109 targets) for 710 yards and seven TDs across three seasons (48 games). However, some fans thought that Bryant's numbers should have improved year over year, but they didn't.
Eventually, Bryant's tenure in Cleveland came to an end after four years, as he spent last season with the Las Vegas Raiders as their TE3.
While his stats aren't spectacular, Bryant does a good job of getting yards after the catch, which is illustrated by his 4.2 yards after catch per reception.
In addition to his pass-catching skills, Bryant can also help Houston in the blocking department, which isn’t a bad idea after the team's performance in Week 1. The veteran was an offensive lineman in high school, but converted to tight end later in his career.
Having that background as an offensive lineman has helped Bryant with his blocking, as he has good technique and knows how to climb to the second level. The Texans hope that Bryant pans out, as they likely don’t want to call up rookie Luke Lachey, who is predominantly a blocker and less of a threat in the passing game.
Nonetheless, a good showing with the Texans over the coming weeks could earn Bryant a role even when Stover does eventually return at some point this season. If he doesn't have a good showing, the Texans could just as easily cut him and sign a different option.