The Philadelphia Eagles traded tight end Harrison Bryant to the Houston Texans in exchange for wide receiver John Metchie III on Sunday. The move turned some heads around the NFL, as the Texans reunited Metchie with former Alabama teammates DeVonta Smith and Jalen Hurts.
The teams also swapped Day 3 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Eagles received a sixth-round pick in the deal while the Texans got a fifth-round selection back from Philadelphia in the pick swap.
DeMeco Ryans Comments On Metchie Trade
Metchie is no stranger to adversity. He missed Alabama’s loss to Georgia in the 2021 national title game due to an ACL injury. Shortly after being drafted in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the former Alabama wide receiver was diagnosed with leukemia. While he eventually beat cancer, he missed his entire rookie season and has been fighting to get back into football shape during his recovery.
In two seasons with the Texans, Metchie compiled 40 receptions for 412 yards and one touchdown. The best game of his career came last season against the Detroit Lions when he finished with five catches for 74 yards and a score, all career-highs.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans commented on the deal on Monday, telling reporters that Metchie has looked better than ever and will have a better opportunity to contribute in Philadelphia.
“I really have a lot of love and affinity for (John) Metchie,” Ryans told the media. “I thought this is the best he’s looked, in this camp.
It hurts to lose him but I know he’s going on to a really good opportunity.”
Eagles-Texans Have Made Seven Trades Since 2023
The Eagles and Texans have been frequent trade partners in recent seasons. The two teams have made seven deals since 2023. Eagles GM Howie Roseman and Texans GM Nick Caserio appear to have a strong relationship, routinely swapping draft picks over the years, but this is just the second deal involving players on either squad. Prior to the Metchie trade, the most recent deal involved sending Pro Bowl safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to Houston in March.
Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo also seemed excited to have a new weapon in the wide receiver room.
“Anytime you can add player like him to the room to bring more competition to the room is a really great thing,” Patullo said. “Howie does a really good job adding depth and options to work with throughout the season. As you know you need as many bodies as you can. We are excited to have him.”
Who Will Be The Odd Man Out In Eagles WR Room?
Dealing for Metchie will complicate matters for some of the Eagles other wide receivers. Given that Roseman willingly gave up draft capital to acquire the former second-round pick, Metchie’s spot on the roster is likely safe. However, the same can’t be said for some of Philadelphia’s other receivers, including Terrace Marshall Jr., Elijah Cooks, or training camp standout Darius Cooper.
For now, it seems like Philadelphia is hoping to rekindle some of the chemistry that helped Alabama go to back-to-back national championship games in 2020 and 2021.
