Texans' John Metchie III Making 'Massive Strides' in Leukemia Recovery, GM Says

Houston Texans rookie wide receiver John Metchie III is making "massive strides" in his recovery from leukemia, general manager Nick Caserio said Wednesday.

During an appearance with Seth Payne and Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 (h/t Drew Dougherty of the team's website), Caserio provided an update on Metchie:

"I'd say there's a chance that he'll be ready for the start of the offseason program. I think there are still some things that he has to complete or go through. Quite frankly, it's amazing what he's done to this point."

Caserio added: "He actually looks better now than he did when we drafted him in the spring. He's improved his strength, he's improved his lower body strength. His attitude has been great, even though he's been dealing with a lot of things medically."

Metchie announced in July that he had been diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia and would miss the 2022 season as he focused on his treatment and recovery.

The 22-year-old said in a statement at the time:

"Recently, I was diagnosed with APL (acute promyelocytic leukemia), the most curable form of leukemia. I am currently receiving great medical care, am in good spirits and I expect to make a recovery at a later point in time. As a result of this diagnosis, I will likely not be playing football this season. My main focus will be on my health and recovery. Thank you in advance for your support and well wishes. I cannot wait to come back stronger than ever. God bless."

Caserio said there is no timeline for Metchie to return to the field, and while he's optimistic, he added the pass-catcher still has some "modifications" to work through.

The Texans selected Metchie in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft out of Alabama, where he had a standout 2021 season. He caught 96 passes for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games.

Metchie closed his career with the Crimson Tide having caught 155 passes for 2,081 yards and 14 touchdowns in 30 games.

The news about Metchie is one of the better stories to come out of the Texans organization in recent days.

Houston fired Lovie Smith following a 3-13-1 season and has now entered a head coaching search for the third time in four seasons. Additionally, the team missed out on the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft after winning their regular-season finale against the Indianapolis Colts.