Texans' injuries set the stage for a John Metchie III breakout game

All the talk in the offseason was about how the Houston Texans should trade wide receiver John Metchie III. Fast forward a few months to now, and Metchie is getting ready to play a significant role.

Is this his time to break out? Well, the answer is simple: yes. 

Metchie was a standout wide receiver at Alabama, totaling 2,081 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns on 39 receptions in three seasons. The Texans selected him in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, hoping he’d become one of their primary pass-catching options. Unfortunately, and through no fault of his own, that hasn’t been the case. 

This week, the Texans and Metchie have a favorable matchup as they face the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars secondary just allowed Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen to throw for 263 yards and four touchdowns. Jacksonville is allowing opponents 28 points per game and has given up 757 passing yards and five touchdowns.

Metchie hasn’t played in a game yet this season, but as the Texans suffer injuries to the wide receiver room, he should finally get his time to shine. 

Injuries should pave the way for John Metchie III to break out

Tank Dell has been targeted 17 times in three games to start the season, but he's been ruled out for the Week 4 contest. Additionally, wide receiver Nico Collins is expected to play through a hamstring injury, and it’s unclear how much he’ll contribute. That opens up more opportunities for Metchie, who’s looking for his role to grow in Houston. If he can capitalize on his chances this week, he could be in for a much larger target share throughout the season. 

Regardless of whether the Texans view him as a future piece of their offense, one thing is clear: Metchie needs to have a big game to help his career. This is more than “just another game.” This is a big moment for him and could be the turning point he needs to reclaim what looked like a promising young career. The Texans need someone to step up for the injured Dell, and Metchie will get an extended look. After having a full offseason to shake off the rust, the 24-year-old has a chance to give both the Texans and the media a first true look at his skills.

The home fans will surely be cheering on Metchie against the Jaguars,, and he still has plenty of untapped potential. If he can find success, the Texans will have a good problem at wide receiver. If not, they still have Xavier Hutchinson behind Dell and Metchie, and at least they'd have a better idea of what they have in Metchie.