Jul 23, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III (8) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Texans' DeMeco Ryans Reacts to John Metchie, Eagles Trade

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Houston Texans made a trade this past week to deal wide receiver John Metchie III to the Philadelphia Eagles, paired with a sixth-round pick, in exchange for tight end Harrison Bryant and a fifth-round pick.

It ends the tenure of Metchie's time in Houston after three years with the team, starting as a second round pick who wound up appearing in 29 total games with the Texans.

For head coach DeMeco Ryans, the move to send out Metchie was far from easy, calling the move both "not easy to do" while labeling the wideout an "inspiration" to him and many around the building.

“I really have a lot of love and affinity for Metchie,” Ryans said after the trade on Monday. “Everything that he’s been through in his professional career, the things that he had to battle through, push through and overcome. Just very fond of the guy... He’s an inspiration to myself, and he’s an inspiration to a lot of people to see what he was able to go through, overcome, get back to playing football and work back his first two years."

Coming out of the 2022 NFL Draft, Metchie would see his time in the league quickly shaken up as he would go on to be diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, a cancer affecting his white blood cells that needed immediate treatment starting in the offseason of 2022, and thus, derailed his entire rookie season with Houston.

However, it would be a year later when Metchie would be named cancer-free, able to return to play, and on the field with Houston once the 2023 offseason rolled around. Nothing short of a motivating and inspiring story to see unfold.

In his time with the Texans, he would go on to play in 29 games, start in three of them, totaling to 412 yards on 40 catches and a touchdown.

This offseason though, the Texans would opt to ship out Metchie to the Eagles, a move that evens out this Houston receiving room, while helping aid a tight end group that was faced with the season-ending injury of Brevin Jordan earler last week.

But even with the trade in place, Coach Ryans noted this training camp as being the best he's seen out of Metchie, who now finds his way over the Philadelphia for his next opportunity.

“I thought Metchie looked the best he’s looked this camp,” Ryans said. “He’s done a really nice job of preparing himself, putting himself in a really good spot. He’s done everything we’ve asked, did everything the right way... It hurts to lose him, but I know he’s going on to a really good opportunity there in Philly,” Ryans said. “He’ll continue to flourish, he’ll thrive in Philly because Metchie has the right mindset.”

This article first appeared on Houston Texans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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