Scoring your first touchdown is always a monumental moment for an NFL player. But for Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III, his score in Sunday night’s game against the Detroit Lions held even deeper meaning after his battle with leukemia.
John Metchie III Was Diagnosed With Leukemia Before Rookie Season
He was a budding star in college. Metchie was the next in line of a seemingly endless stream of talented wide receivers to play at the University of Alabama. After a slow start during his freshman season, he contributed 916 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns to a National Championship effort for Alabama, which was done despite Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith being the first two options in the offense.
But Metchie had his true breakout season in 2021. He caught 96 passes that season for a total of 1,142 yards, and was responsible for 8 touchdowns while becoming one of the top receiving prospects for the NFL Draft. An unfortunate tear of his ACL in the 2021 SEC Championship game caused his draft stock to drop some, and he wound up being selected by the Texans in the second round with the 44th overall pick.
As it would turn out, the ACL ailment would become the least of John Metchie’s worries as he entered his rookie season in the NFL.
Just a couple of months after the 2022 NFL Draft, Metchie was experiencing headaches and cold-like symptoms. He got checked out, and in July was given a shocking diagnosis: acute promyelocytic leukemia.
Football Became Secondary In 2022 & 2023
Suddenly, his budding football career was placed on the back burner. While receiving treatment, Metchie sat out his entire rookie season. He was cared for at Houston’s MD Anderson Cancer Center throughout the fall of 2022 and into the spring of 2023, and was afraid that he would never step foot onto an NFL field.
“In situations when you’re forced to be faced with your own mortality, you see what it is you really believe in and who it is you really believe in. So my faith in God is what kept me comfortable and a belief that it was all for a greater purpose and a greater reason”
But he persevered. After what was nearly a year-long battle, John Metchie received a clean diagnosis in July 2023, and was permitted to return to the practice field ahead of that upcoming season. His impact was minimal during his first season of action, as he was the fifth wide receiver on the Texans’ depth chart in terms of snap counts. He went on to catch 16 passes for 158 yards that year, and failed to reach the end zone at any point.
He got off to a slow start this year, as well. The Texans went out and acquired Stefon Diggs during the off-season, adding to their wide receiver room that already consisted of Tank Dell, Nico Collins, and others. During Houston’s first nine games of the season, Metchie was targeted just 7 times, and entered Week 10 with just 36 reception yards on the year.
Metchie Breaks Out Against Lions In Week 10
But due to both Diggs and Collins being inactive for Sunday Night’s game against the Detroit Lions, Metchie got the first start of his career. He didn’t disappoint, either. He was targeted 6 times during the game, nabbing 5 catches and totaling 74 receiving yards (all career highs).
His biggest moment came at the end of the second quarter. The Texans were driving late in the first half and hoping to add to their 16-7 lead, when quarterback CJ Stroud found Metchie over the middle in the front of the end zone. The 15-yeard touchdown marked the first of his career, a monumental moment for the young wideout given all that he has been through since his senior year in college.
While his efforts were impressive and inspiring to many, they weren’t enough to help stave off the feisty Lions. Detroit was able to mount a comeback by scoring the final 19 points of the game, including squeezing in the game-winning field goal as time expired to take home the victory. With the loss, the Texans dropped to 6-4 and have now lost 3 of their last 4 games, but are still firmly planted atop the AFC South division heading into Week 11.
John Metchie missed his rookie season due to leukemia
After beating cancer he just scored his first career NFL touchdown
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) November 11, 2024
What Does The Immediate Future Hold?
It is likely that Metchie will find himself pushed down on the depth chart once again when Collins returns from his injury. But given that Diggs is out for the entire year with his ailment, the door could be open for someone to pick up the slack in offensive contributions, and John Metchie III seems like a viable option after his Week 10 performance.
Houston’s next game will be another prime time affair, as they will take on the in-state rival Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football next week.
