Houston Texans Make Major Decision on Graham Mertz Ahead of 2025 Season
Houston Texans rookie quarterback Graham Mertz had a very up-and-down NFL preseason. The former Florida Gators signal caller had his collegiate career cut short due to a season-ending injury in 2024. However, after being drafted in the sixth round by the Texans, his professional career was given a chance.
Mertz struggled in his first appearance this preseason, leaving Texans' fans wondering if he would be on the team when Week 1 comes around. After an impressive final game on Saturday, some of those wonders were put to bed.
On Tuesday, the Texans announced their official 53-man roster to begin the 2025 regular season, per The Sporting News' Dylan Delgatto, which answered the question of whether Mertz would make the team.
Mertz was listed as one of three quarterbacks on the Texans' initial roster. He will most likely start the season third on the team's depth chart behind starter CJ Stroud and backup Davis Mills.
The 6-foot-2, 216-pound quarterback suffered a rough first outing in the Texans' first preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings. He went 7-of-14 passing for 27 yards with three interceptions.
He turned it around on Saturday against the Detroit Lions, though. In this game, he completed 14 of his 16 passing attempts for 145 yards and a touchdown. This was a pleasing sight for Texans and Florida fans alike.
In two years with the Gators, the Kansas native totaled 3,694 passing yards with 26 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He also ran for five more scores across the two seasons.
Although his final season under Billy Napier at Florida ended prematurely due to a torn ACL, his perseverance to make it on the Texans' roster to begin his rookie year is an incredible next chapter to his story.
