While the Houston Texans recently added Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs to the offense, C.J. Stroud wanted to talk about another receiver who’s been working overtime this offseason.
Stroud praised third-year pass-catcher John Metchie III’s work ethic and progress Monday after recently working out with him in Los Angeles, stating how different he’s looked a full year into his remission.
“He has a ton of value, a huge impact that I think he will bring this season,” Stroud said. “I think last year was good to get his feet back in the water, coming off of an injury, then something so traumatic like being sick how he was. His mindset is that he’s just ready to come back and ball.”
A former second-round selection out of Alabama in 2022, Metchie missed the entirety of his rookie season after being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, a rare but treatable form of cancer. Instead of hauling in passes from Davis Mills, he was undergoing chemotherapy over at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Consider the 2023 campaign Metchie’s de facto rookie year. In 15 games, the former go-to target for Heisman winner and No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young hauled in 16 passes for 158 yards. Metchie’s most significant moment came against the Cleveland Browns in the wild-card round, where his 27-yard catch set up an eventual touchdown pass to Nico Collins.
Stroud, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, recently invited Metchie, Diggs and Tank Dell out of L.A. to run drills at UCLA’s campus. Fully healthy, Stroud could see a spark in the slot receiver that could benefit the Texans’ passing attack this fall.
“Not only is he a great football player, but he’s a great person and I wouldn’t want anybody else other than those guys in that room,” said Stroud. “Metchie is looking amazing. Everything that he will put on this field will be no surprise, but I think everybody in this room knows how special he can be, and he’ll put that on the field.”
Metchie was named the Texans’ annual Ed Block Courage Award last season, recognizing his grit and determination to overcome great adversity. He now looks to be a staple of Houston’s offense en route to the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance this upcoming season.
Houston Texans standout quarterback C.J. Stroud admitted that he was asleep when the team made a blockbuster trade to acquire star wide receiver Stefon Diggs from the Buffalo Bills.
“I was asleep,” Stroud told reporters on Monday, adding that he received multiple text messages from his friends asking about how he was feeling although he wasn’t aware of the trade at the time.
When he finally found out about the deal, the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year revealed that he was excited to be playing alongside Diggs.
“I was very excited,” Stroud said. “I met him at the Pro Bowl. Just got to meet each other, to meet his kids, to see what type of person he was, just being able to grow our relationship from there. It’s really cool just to be able to not only go from that scene, to now him being a teammate of mine. Just really excited to get to work with him.”
On April 3, the Texans traded a 2025 second-round pick in exchange for Diggs, a 2024 sixth-round pick, and a 2025 fifth-round pick. Following the deal, Houston wiped out the final three years on a contract extension that the wideout previously signed with the Bills and will allow him to enter unrestricted free agency in 2025 while assuring him $22.52 million guaranteed in 2024.
Despite a rough playoff run, Diggs surpassed 1,100 receiving yards for the fifth consecutive year during the 2023 season. He hauled in 107 catches, finding the end zone eight times. He’ll now look to stand in a talented Houston wide receiver group that includes Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Noah Brown.
For the Texans, they’ll attempt to build upon a surprising appearance in the divisional round of the playoffs with Diggs in the mix for the 2024 season.
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