Houston Texans give update on former Alabama wide receiver John Metchie's injury recovery timetable
The Houston Texans recently drafted former Alabama star John Metchie III to be the franchise’s wideout of the future. He’s been recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in the 2022 SEC Championship Game against the Georgia Bulldogs. The Texans are excited to see when their new offensive weapon will be able to get back on the football field and this weekend, they gave an update.
Texans head coach Lovie Smith gave everyone a brief update on his progress,
“I talked about us initially just taking everybody through a certain amount of tests to see exactly where they are,” he said. “We’re in the process of seeing exactly when John would be ready to go. Eventually, he will be ready to go. There’s a lot that he can do before that. He’s not 100% yet, but in time he will be.
“I don’t have that timetable set yet, but in the upcoming weeks, we’ll be able to tell that a little bit more. For us, he is going to play this year. It’s all, as much as anything, about the mental preparation, them catching up, getting in the playbook. You’d be surprised the amount of things we ask of young people and what they have to get down,” Smith said.
Also, Metchie gave yet another very encouraging report on his recovery timetable this weekend.
“As far as the recovery, I will be good to play football in July. I will be good to go, no training wheels,” Metchie said during the draft. “I have been running already for the last couple months. Cutting, jumping, doing all those types of things. When I say I will be ready to go in July, it’s full-go football,” Metchie said.
About a week ago, the former Alabama star once again gave Houston Texans’ fans very encouraging news regarding his ACL recovery.
“Yeah, I feel great in that department,” Metchie said. “My knee’s been doing really well. I’ve always been ahead of schedule, really ahead of schedule for where I am. I’m just excited, just ready to get back. It’s been doing well, no worries there. No speed bumps or hurdles. So it’s been good.”
Metchie was a big-time contributor at Alabama. His collegiate career began in 2019, though he had just four receptions as a freshman. In 2020, Metchie totaled 55 receptions for 916 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 16.7 yards per catch. This past season, Metchie erupted for 96 receptions, 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 11.9 yards per reception.
Metchie could be in line for a big role in the Texans offense
Last season, the Texans struggled with a lack of weapons on the offensive side of the ball. Wide receiver Brandin Cooks was by far the most valuable player on offense, bringing in 90 receptions on 134 targets for 1,037 yards and six touchdowns. No other receiver on last year’s roster had more than 33 receptions or 446 yards through the air.
While Metchie might not be fully ready to go at the start of the year, he should play a big role in the Texans passing offense once’s he is healthy and ready to go.
The Texans traded up for Metchie, jumping in front of the Baltimore Ravens to take him. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport broke down why Houston made that deal, adding a positive update on a potential timeline on his return.
“The Houston Texans leapfrogged the Baltimore Ravens to take John Metchie,” Rapoport said. “If you’re wondering why, of course, we know that (Baltimore) traded Hollywood Brown yesterday and they still have not replaced him. If there’s one thing the Ravens love, it’s Alabama players. This is why the Texans jumped them. By the way, Metchie should be ready from that ACL surgery by training camp.”
On3’s Jonathan Wagner also contributed to this article.