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Former Wisconsin Badges QB had nightmare NFL preseason debut and social media roasted him for it
Jul 23, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Graham Mertz (18) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Former Wisconsin Badges QB had nightmare NFL preseason debut and social media roasted him for it

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Lorin Cox  |  Last updated Aug 10, 2025 12:52 PM ET
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It's hard for a quarterback to start his NFL career much worse than Graham Mertz did Saturday.

The former Wisconsin Badgers starter made his preseason debut for the Houston Texans, and he threw three interceptions while completing seven passes for only 28 yards.

All of those passes came in the third and fourth quarter against the backups and third-string players for the Minnesota Vikings.

It was a bit of a surprise when the Texans drafted Mertz in the sixth round this year after he missed most of his final collegiate season at Florida with a knee injury.

It's been a difficult stretch for his football career, and fans on social media aren't making it any easier for him.

A bad performance like this is always going to come with criticism, but at least some fans had some empathy for the struggles Mertz went through.

A first impression like this is going to stick with Mertz for a little bit, but it doesn't have to define the rest of his career.

He'll have two more preseason games to redeem himself and show Houston why he was worth investing in with a late-round draft pick.

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This article first appeared on Wisconsin Badgers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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