Wide receiver John Metchie never had a chance to succeed with the Houston Texans, and one writer believes the team should trade him in the coming weeks. A second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Alabama product missed his rookie season while battling acute promyelocytic leukemia. Unfortunately, by the time he made it back to the field, he never had the opportunity to earn a starting job. After recording 16 receptions for 158 yards in his de facto rookie season, Metchie recorded 24 receptions for 254 yards and one touchdown last year while playing behind Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, and Tank Dell.
Houston loaded up at the wide receiver position in the offseason, trading for Christian Kirk while selecting wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel in the second and third rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. With no clear path to playing time, Bleacher Report‘s Moe Moton believes the Texans must trade John Metchie to a receiver-needy team and give him a chance to prove himself. Despite his lack of production, several teams should be interested in his services.
Texans Urged to Trade John Metchie
Possible Suitors
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers parted ways with wide receiver George Pickens, as the team decided his on-field talent didn’t justify his off-field headache. However, with him gone, the team must find someone who can line up opposite D.K. Metcalf. While the Chris Olave trade rumors are out there, the Steelers may have to settle for a less proven commodity in John Metchie. Metchie may not be the safest bet, but he has untapped upside that could be unlocked with a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots added several bodies to the wide receiver room this offseason, but there still isn’t much proven talent here. Stefon Diggs is one of the game’s premier talents when healthy, but he’s on the wrong side of 30 and coming off a season-ending knee injury. Rookie Kyle Williams has promise, but the rest of the depth chart consists of unremarkable players. John Metchie has a wide range of outcomes, but the talent-poor Patriots might as well trade for him and see if there’s any untapped potential here.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are entering a long-overdue rebuild following Derek Carr’s retirement. After kicking the can with an endless line of restructures, the team has finally hit the reset button and will roll with either second-round pick Tyler Shough or Spencer Rattler in 2025. With this in mind, the Saints could trade a late-round pick for John Metchie to see if the 25-year-old could develop into a franchise cornerstone at wide receiver. Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are a fine duo, but Metchie could be a solid second or third option in this passing attack.
Carolina Panthers
Much like the Patriots, the Carolina Panthers have an army of solid wide receivers. First-round pick Tetaiora McMillan has elite upside, but the rest of the group appears to be nothing more than role players. Metchie could fight for a depth role at first before earning a starting job for Bryce Young’s Panthers.
Main Photo: Troy Taormina – Imagn Images
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