John Metchie III shines during the first three days of Houston Texans training camp

Day 3 of training camp showed the Houston Texans’ potential on both sides of the ball. CJ Stroud and Stefon Diggs showed their chemistry by scoring three times in the passing game, while Will Anderson Jr. caused a stir on the defensive line.

Of all the players who stood out during the first three days of camp, John Metchie III put on a show at the Houston Methodist Training Center. He caught an expected 30-yard reception from quarterback Davis Mills on Saturday morning while flashing his rout running ability on several occasions, showing off the ability to create distance between himself and defenders during 11-on-11 play.

READ MORE: Blake Fisher shows versatility during first two days of training camp

Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik is excited to see Metchie contribute to Houston’s offense after two years of personal adversity off the field.

“He’s in much better football shape, and that’s to be expected,” Slowik said. “He can just play football, and that’s when John Metchie is at his best, when he can just play football, do what he loves to do, and he doesn’t have to worry about all the things that he’s worried about for two, three years now. It’s really fun to watch.”

Metchiiiiiiieeeeee 🥋🔥 photo.twitter.com/HfqPx02VrZ

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) July 20, 2024

Metchie was grateful for his return for most of the 2023 season. An ACL injury and a battle with leukemia sidelined him for the entire 2022 season, leaving the former Alabama prospect grateful to be on the Texans’ 53-man active roster for 16 of the 17 games played last year.

While Metchie was excited to return to the game, his subpar production left him wanting more late in the season. Metchie was far from the player the Texans envisioned when they drafted him in the second round (No. 44 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.

He had 158 yards on 16 catches. The highlight of his sophomore season came in Houston’s Week 13 win over the Denver Broncos. Midway through the second quarter, Metchie missed a chance to score his first career touchdown. Stroud knocked Metchie over on a wide-open attempt, and the two sides seemed out of sync.

Seven months later, Metchie has had a full off-season to focus on football, and the results could see him develop into a key member of Slowik’s attacking team.

“What he went through – he couldn’t play football for two years and then last year he was suddenly on the field – it’s really difficult,” Slowik said.

“It’s a feather in his cap as a person that he was even able to do what he did last year. And now he was able to have an off-season, a spring, a summer and a fall to really get back into football shape, to be where he wanted to be physically. And then the second year in the system for everybody mentally has really slowed everybody down, calmed everybody down in that regard.”

Patience was the key that helped Metchie overcome the daunting challenges of his personal life and a subpar season amid a comeback. A healthy Metchie adds to the Texans’ high-profile wide receiver unit, which will feature Diggs and two wideouts who established themselves during Houston’s 10-7 season in Nico Collins and Tank Dell.

Metchie has given the Texans a glimpse into his talents during the first three days of training camp. His play is a testament to why Houston enters the 2024 season with the league’s best receiving core, poised to be vital to a potential championship run.