The Houston Texans are one of the teams that don't have to worry about the QB position, and that's due to the young star C.J. Stroud under center.
They have Davis Mills as the backup QB, but the QB3 position is up for grabs between Kedon Slovis and Graham Mertz. As Week 2 of preseason games are taking place, Mertz is quickly tanking his chances of winning that competition.
Texans QB Graham Mertz Is Tanking His Chances for Being QB3
In the preseason opener against the Vikings, Mertz went 7-of-14 for 28 passing yards and three brutal interceptions.
He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL draft, but his performance this summer has been inconsistent. Mertz has produced some days of good practices, but putting everything together on the field is what matters. And in his first chance to do that, he laid an egg.
Meanwhile, in the same contest, Slovis was 11-of-15 for 71 passing yards, putting him ahead in the competition. Slovis has also struggled throughout the summer, but his performance against the Vikings shows he could potentially have a higher ceiling compared to Mertz.
Granted, this is just one outing, and Mertz has two more preseason games in addition to some training camp practices to show what he can do. Saturday's contest against the Carolina Panthers will be the next chance for Mertz to bounce back, but fans shouldn't keep their hopes up.
In his collegiate career at Wisconsin and Florida, Mertz struggled to stay healthy. In 50 games, he threw for 9,099 passing yards, 64 touchdowns, and 31 interceptions. Mertz never threw for more than 2,900 yards and 20 passing touchdowns in a season.
He still has room to grow, considering he's only 24 years old, but that may not be in Houston. If he continues to be underwhelming in the reps he's given, the Texans won't be inclined to keep him around.
Stroud and Mills are the clear 1 and 2 QBs on the depth chart, leaving room for just one more player. And with how things currently look, Mertz has an uphill climb in order to make the roster.