By Dianna Russini, Zach Berman and Amos Morale III
The Houston Texans are trading wide receiver John Metchie III to the Philadelphia Eagles, a league source told The Athletic.
The Texans are receiving tight end Harrison Bryant and a fifth-round pick from the Eagles in exchange for Metchie and a sixth-round pick, the source said. By reacquiring the draft picks the Eagles and Texans traded each other in a deal in March, the trade has effectively become C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Bryant for Kenyon Green and Metchie.
Houston selected Metchie, a 6-foot, 195-pound receiver out of Alabama, in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia following the draft and did not play that season.
He appeared in 16 games in 2023 and caught 16 passes for 158 yards while playing 29 percent of Houston’s offensive snaps.
Nick Caserio and the Texans continue to stockpile 2026 draft assets.
Houston owns four picks in the first three rounds next April, including one first, two seconds, and one third-rounder.
And now, the Texans re-acquire their own fifth-round pick they dealt in March in the C.J.…
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) August 17, 2025
Last season, he played 45 percent of the Texans’ offensive snaps and caught 24 balls for 254 yards and a touchdown. For his career, he has 40 catches for 412 yards and one touchdown.
This offseason, the Texans added to their wide receiver room by trading for receiver Christian Kirk and drafting former Iowa State standouts Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel.
Why the Eagles traded for Metchie
The Eagles’ top three wide receivers are A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Jahan Dotson, but there has been uncertainty all summer about the order after that trio. In Metchie, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman makes a familiar trade for a young player with draft pedigree who might benefit from a change of scenery — similar to the deal to acquire Dotson last summer.
Metchie, 24, will join a depth group that includes 2024 draft picks Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith, undrafted rookie Darius Cooper, and free agent hopeful Terrace Marshall Jr. He could be the No. 4 or No. 5 wide receiver with Wilson, and he gives the Eagles an intriguing option in the slot.
A former teammate of DeVonta Smith’s at Alabama, Metchie had 96 catches for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns as Smith’s replacement in 2021.
Metchie has played 29 games over the past two NFL seasons. The Texans drafted two receivers on Day 2 this spring, creating a logjam at the position. That made Metchie expendable. Roseman often actively looks for players the Eagles liked during the draft process who have fallen out of favor with their previous team. — Berman
What this means for Philadelphia
Bryant, 27, is a journeyman tight end who played for the Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders before signing with the Eagles in March. He had been competing to become the No. 3 tight end behind Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra.
Bryant wasn’t a sure bet to make the 53-man roster, and the Eagles will choose between Kylen Granson, E.J. Jenkins, Nick Muse and Cameron Latu — or even seek to add a third tight end from outside the building — in rounding out the depth chart.
The Eagles liked Metchie enough to swap Bryant and move down a round in the draft. Philadelphia’s final preseason game on Friday against the New York Jets could help the Eagles determine the final roster spots at wide receiver and tight end, with both positions affected by Sunday’s trade. — Berman
(Photo: Logan Riely / Getty Images)
