Texans’ Metchie III close to returning to team

Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III missed his rookie season in 2022 due to treatment for leukemia.

Meeting with the media on Tuesday, Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans expressed optimism that wide receiver John Metchie III, who missed his rookie season in 2022 due to treatment for leukemia, would be back with the team and ready to play this season.

When asked about Metchie’s health and where he may be as it relates to football activities, Ryans replied:

“Yeah, John (Metchie III) is doing fine. We’ll see John get involved with our offseason program. And with John, as with every other player, we’re going to take it one day at a time and see where he can grow and where he can be when the time comes. At the right time, when the season comes, we’ll see where he is.”

Metchie was a second-round draft pick by the Texans in 2022, despite his pending recovery at the time from a torn ACL. Houston traded up to select him 44th overall, giving up picks 68, 108, and 124 to draft him.

In his junior year at Alabama in 2021, Metchie earned All-SEC honors, posting 96 receptions for 1,142 yards and 8 touchdowns, averaging nearly 12 yards per catch. Metchie suffered a torn ACL in the SEC Championship game.

In July of 2022, Metchie was diagnosed with leukemia, and it was announced he would miss the 2022 NFL season. Metchie has since completed his treatment.

Ryans expressed how much he likes Metchie and the kind of person and player he is:

“Hearing his story and then meeting him in person, it marries up—outstanding young man off the field. Great energy. Always around. Every time I see him in the building, huge smile on his face. No matter what adversity he’s faced, he’s attacking it with a smile, attacking it with the right attitude.

“It just solidifies the type of person that he is, and the type of people and the type of players that we want to add to our team is guys with that type of attitude.”

Going back to January of this year, general manager Nick Caserio expressed optimism that Metchie would be ready to participate in the team’s offseason program:

“I’d say there’s a chance that he’ll be ready for the start of the offseason program. I think there are still some things that he has to complete or go through. Quite frankly, it’s amazing what he’s done to this point.

“He actually looks better now than he did when we drafted him in the spring. He’s improved his strength, he’s improved his lower body strength. His attitude has been great, even though he’s been dealing with a lot of things medically.”