John Metchie Could Be a Wild Card in Texans Offense

It sounds like it's been a hell of an offseason for Houston Texans wide receiver, John Metchie III, who could be a wild card in that offense.

Share This Post

The Houston Texans are getting a ton of offseason buzz. We knew it would eventually happen because of the historic rookie season of quarterback CJ Stroud and the barrage of free agent additions the Texans brought in once the bell sounded on free agency. The hype reached a fever pitch when the team traded for Stefon Diggs, and now they’re 5th in the AFC in terms of betting odds to win the conference. Lost in the shuffle of Texans news this offseason was a nice honor for third-year wide receiver John Metchie III, who was voted by the PFWA as the recipient for the organization’s George Halas Award. Via press release:

Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III, who returned to play in the 2023 season after missing the entire 2022 season with acute promyelocytic leukemia, was selected as the 2024 George Halas Award winner by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA).

The Halas Award is given to an NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed. The award is named for Halas, a charter member (1963) of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, who was associated with the Chicago Bears and NFL from their inception in 1920 until his death in 1983 as an owner, manager, player and promoter. Halas won 324 games and six NFL titles in 40 seasons as a coach.

According to Pro Football Talk, Metchie is having a solid showing this offseason on the field as well. I can’t say I’m surprised. We lose sight of just how talented this guy was prior to the injury that had him sliding out of the first round. In terms of real production, we haven’t seen anything in several years. But, the guy still has a wealth of talent that if he can tap into, he’ll be a contributor in this offense, and it sounds like he’s getting closer every day.

It’s easy for a guy like this to get lost in the shuffle. The Texans made a splash move in adding Diggs to their receiving corps. They just inked a big deal for Nico Collins, who I feel is one of the more underrated talents in the league. And, Tank Dell is coming off of an injury after flashing some electric potential in 2023. There’s no doubt this is going to be one of the deeper groups in the AFC, but a guy like Metchie could stand to benefit from that as the team’s fourth option. For one, it alleviates any pressure for him to be a real x-factor guy right away in 2024. For another, it stands to reason that he’ll be taking on an opponent’s 3rd or 4th defensive back. That might allow him to steal a chunk play every now and then.

But, just look at how crisp the movement is in that clip above. I know we’re committing the cardinal sin of breaking down and putting stock into camp reps, but give me a break – it’s June. Let me be the optimist here. That looks like the Metchie we saw at Alabama, a guy who had a nasty quick release off the line, could cut on a dime and change direction, and could accelerate like The Fast and The Furious when you gave him an opening. If that’s the guy the Texans get this summer, then he could eventually turn into what they projected him to be when they drafted him. You love to see a guy overcome adversity like he has, get back on the field, and make waves.

Metchie is beginning to stockpile some Ws this offseason, and if he continues to build momentum, he could turn into a pretty fun player to watch in Bobby Slowik’s offense this season. He’s certainly the type of cat that you root for, even if you do happen to be a diehard fan of the division rival Tennessee Titans. At least, that’s my two cents.

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.

SoBros Network and Stacking The Inbox have teamed up for the greatest premium content collaboration in the history of Nashville. Get all of the Tennessee Titans and NFL Draft coverage you need on top of premium SoBros Network content such as The Movie Review Rewind Podcast, Sports Punch, and much more! Only $5/month gets you instant access to an exhaustive content library of articles, podcasts, and videos created exclusively for our subscribers! Sign up on Substack today!

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get updates and learn from the best

More To Explore