Sep 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III (8) during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina
Per multiple reports, the Eagles have acquired wide receiver John Metchie III in a trade with the Houston Texans on Sunday.
The full trade included the Eagles sending tight end Harrison Bryant and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Texans, in exchange for Metchie and a 2026 sixth-round pick.
Metchie, 25, is entering his fourth NFL season. In 29 career NFL games, he has 40 receptions for 412 yards and one touchdown. He's known primarily for his excellent and precise route running.
The @Eagles add to their WR room with John Metchie III 👀 pic.twitter.com/x2U1bTKQVM
Metchie was selected by the Texans in the second round of the 2022 draft. However, in July 2022, he announced that he would likely not play football that year due to being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia.
Metchie battled APL, one of the most curable forms of cancer, and was cleared to play football in the 2023 offseason. After not playing football in nearly 20 months, he made his NFL debut that season.
Metchie was a star wide receiver at Alabama, winning the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship alongside his good friend and current Eagle DeVonta Smith.
DeVonta Smith was wearing a "John Metchie" shirt when Eagles faced the Texans in 2022 after Metchie was diagnosed with leukemia.
Now, they're teammates.#Eagles pic.twitter.com/jV8fvzav6O
In 2021, his final season at Alabama, he totaled 96 receptions for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games. He would have likely been selected sooner in the 2022 NFL Draft if he hadn't torn his ACL in the 2021 SEC Championship Game.
The Eagles' wide receiver room has its top three set in stone: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Jahan Dotson.
Beyond those three, the wide receivers with a chance to make the roster are Darius Cooper, Terrace Marshall, Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson.
Metchie will add much-needed depth beyond the Eagles' top three receivers, and he brings a different skill set to the table than what the other receivers have to offer.
Harrison Bryant is entering his sixth NFL season, having previously played for the Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders. He has 98 career receptions for 877 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Eagles signed him this offseason.
Following Brevin Jordan's torn ACL last week, the Texans needed a tight end. Bryant will help them fill that vacancy.
Funnily enough, the Eagles and Texans are both reacquiring their original 2026 draft picks in this trade. They previously swapped the picks in the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade.
