Mar 2, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Alabama wide receiver John Metchie talks to the media during the 2022 NFL Combine. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: Scouting Combine
(New York, NY) — Along with having two picks within the top-15 of the NFL Draft, the Texans are getting back one of their young wide receivers.
WR John Metchie is back after missing the entire 2022 season due to cancer. Metchie suffered from acute promyelocytic leukemia, while also recovering from a torn ACL, sustained back in the 2021 SEC Championship Game versus Georgia.
Metchie was seen on the Texan’s practice field as the team began phase two of its offseason workout program.
The media was not allowed into the workouts, but photos released by Houston appear to show Metchie in shape as he was running routes and catching passes.
The goal, of course, is to be ready for Week 1 in September, and Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans appeared optimistic earlier this month that that could be a real possibility.
“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,” Ryans told reporters. “At the right time, when the season comes, we’ll see where he is.”
Because Metchie was fully inactive last season, he now enters his second year in the league eligible for the Offensive Rookie of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year awards.
Right now, Houston’s wide receiver room includes Robert Woods, John Metchie III, and Alex Bachman at the top-3. The Texans offense ranked near the bottom of the league in passing offense in ’22 with just 3,642 yards.
A third receiver could join the fray Thursday with the Texans holding the second and 12th picks of Thursday’s draft.
