The Houston Texans may have lost Graham Mertz before his rookie season ever really got started.
Mertz, a sixth-round pick at No. 197 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, was hurt Thursday night in the Texans’ preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. The quarterback, who spent four years at Wisconsin before finishing his college career at Florida, suffered what appears to be another major knee injury after already tearing his left ACL five games into his senior season with the Gators in 2024.
The injury happened just before the first half ended. Mertz broke the pocket and tried to scramble for extra yards, but he went down awkwardly as he attempted to hit the turf.
He immediately reached for his leg and his helmet, a bad sign in real time, then walked off the field and headed straight to the locker room. His night was over.
Houston’s medical staff is now bracing for the worst. The team is preparing for a suspected ACL injury, and Mertz could be facing a rehab timeline of six to eight months before he’s back on the field.
It’s another brutal summer setback for a Texans passing group that has repeatedly been hit by serious injuries in recent years. Stefon Diggs also tore his ACL in his first and only season with the team.
Before going down, Mertz was in a tight battle for a significant spot on the depth chart. Now the Texans are left waiting to learn just how severe the damage is.
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Houstons quarterback picture already had some intrigue in camp, and it only got more complicated in the preseason game against the Chargers. Graham Mertz was in the middle of a positional battle for playing time when he exited early, heading to the locker room after what the Texans described as a severe lower-body injury.
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