Texans' John Metchie III Had 'Some Doubt' He'd Play in NFL After Leukemia Diagnosis

Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III was unsure if he'd play in the NFL again after being diagnosed with leukemia last summer.

When asked Thursday at Texans training camp if there was a point that he thought he might not play football again, Metchie responded:

"Yeah. I'm not going to sit here and say no. I feel like at the beginning stages of course you don't know what's going to happen. You don't know what the future has in store for you. ... I would probably say probably the beginning stages there might have been some doubt but I've had a strong faith. I had a strong faith then and I have a strong faith now."

The Texans selected Metchie in the second round of the 2022 draft out of Alabama and he missed his entire rookie season after being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia last summer.

Texans general manager Nick Caserio told reporters on July 26 that Metchie had been cleared for training camp and that there were no concerns about his health, either regarding cancer or the hamstring injury he suffered earlier this offseason.

"He's cleared to participate here in training camp," Caserio said. "John's ready to go. He had a little bit of a setback there in the spring, but he's cleared, he's ready to practice, and we'll take it one day at a time. I'm sure he's anxious and excited to get back on the field."

With Metchie back in the fold ahead of the 2023 season, the Texans are hoping he can be a top target of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, whom they selected second overall in the 2023 draft.