With names such as Stefon Diggs, Deebo Samuel, Cooper Kupp, and Davante Adams available either in free agency or on the trade market, many Houston Texans fans thought the team would make a run at a wide receiver this offseason.
That dream never came to fruition, as the Texans instead traded a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk. In addition to the Kirk trade, the Texans signed veteran wide receivers Braxton Berrios and Justin Watson.
While the Berrios and Watson signings won’t move the needle, the Texans trading for Kirk is not good news for former second-round pick John Metchie. Metchie just finished his second season in the NFL after missing the 2022 season due to leukemia.
Thankfully, the former Alabama Crimson Tide receiver fully recovered and was cleared to play ahead of the 2023 season. Metchie didn’t do much in his first season with the Texans. However, it was great to see him back on the field.
The 5-foot-11 wideout had 16 receptions (30 targets) for 158 yards across 16 games. He also played 29 percent of snaps.
With a year of NFL action under his belt, Houston fans expected Metchie to take another leap in his second season.
The former Crimson Tide standout played more last season (45% of offensive snaps), including three starts. Metchie had 24 receptions (37 targets) for 254 yards and a touchdown – a notable improvement from 2023.
However, Metchie’s play on the field wasn’t super impactful, especially when Houston needed another wide receiver to step up after Tank Dell suffered a horrific season-ending leg injury in Week 16.
Metchie produced seven receptions (12 targets) for 72 yards in the Texans’ last two regular-season games. Then, in the Wild Card round, he saw eight targets, for only the second time this season, but only had four receptions for 28 yards.
Finally, in the AFC Divisional Round against the Kansas City Chiefs, the young wideout turned in two receptions (two targets) for 35 yards. With Dell’s status for 2025 uncertain, the Texans felt they needed to get Kirk, who could see a ton of usage on third down.
That said, with Kirk likely being the WR2 alongside Nico Collins until Dell returns, Metchie will have a shot at claiming the WR3 role.
However, when Dell returns to the field, Metchie might not see many targets. Therefore, the former second-round pick must take advantage of every rep he gets in practice and on the field.