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Houston Texans tight end Cade Stover needed an emergency appendectomy on Saturday night and will not be able to play in Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins, the team said.

The Texans downgraded Stover to out hours before kickoff.

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Cade Stover vs Jaguars

Texans tight end Cade Stover during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium in Houston, Sept. 29, 2024. (Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)

Stover, a rookie, was a fourth-round draft pick out of Ohio State earlier this year. He’s been the backup to Dalton Schultz for most of the season, starting in eight of the 13 games he appeared in.

The 24-year-old player has 14 catches on 20 targets for 132 yards and one touchdown catch. The lone touchdown catch came in a five-point loss over the Tennessee Titans. He had three catches for 26 yards in the game.

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The Texans (8-5) will have to go without him against the Dolphins in a pivotal matchup with playoff implications. Houston is trying to maintain its lead in the AFC South over the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans are up two games on the Colts in the win column.

Houston is 11th in points scored and 18th in yards gained but are 12th in points allowed and fifth in yards allowed. The Dolphins are 23rd in points scored and 19th in yards gained, as well as 14th in points allowed and ninth in yards allowed.

Cade Stover vs Lions

Texans tight end Cade Stover is tackled by Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone at NRG Stadium in Houston, Nov. 10, 2024. (Thomas B. Shea-Imagn Images)

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The Dolphins (6-7) won’t be able to win the AFC East but can still try to snag a wild-card spot with four games left in the season. Miami is ninth in the AFC playoff standings, just two games behind the Denver Broncos for the final playoff spot.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.