The Houston Texans interrupted the action of preseason Week 2 by trading wide receiver John Metchie III to the Philadelphia Eagles. The full details of the deal involve Metchie III heading to Philly in return for sixth-year tight end Harrison Bryant. The two teams will also swap late-round draft picks, according to ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime.
Harrison Bryant will be competing with 2024 fourth-round selection Cade Stover and former Alabama Crimson Tide star Irv Smith Jr. for snaps behind Dalton Schultz for the Texans. Metchie III joins a talented but shallow wide receiver room for the Eagles.
The move will save Houston a little over $1 million in salary cap impact for the 2025 NFL season. Both players involved in the trade were set to hit free agency following the conclusion of the league year.
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
Aside from the additional cap space, this trade doesn’t bring much for the Houston Texans. The full details are still pending at the time of writing, but it doesn’t appear that the team will benefit much in terms of draft capital. Tight end Harrison Bryant has proven to be a solid, albeit unspectacular, depth piece so far in his career.
Throughout five total seasons with the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles, Bryant has totaled 98 catches for 877 yards so far. However, he’s proven to be a reliable weapon in the red zone, with 10 career touchdowns under his belt.
The most important piece of this news will be John Metchie III getting a chance to revitalize his career in a new situation. After establishing himself as an elite prospect with the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Texans took him in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Unfortunately, he missed his entire rookie season with a leukemia diagnosis. He’s shown flashes since returning for Houston, but hasn’t received consistent opportunities to carve out a role for himself.
Now, he has the chance to rise as high as third on the Eagles’ depth chart behind wide receivers A.J. Brown and former teammate DeVonta Smith. He’ll be competing with Jahan Dotson and Johnny Wilson to become Philadelphia’s WR3.
This move is a testament to the Texans’ optimism for their two rookie wideouts, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. They’re expected to become primary targets for quarterback C.J. Stroud behind Nico Collins, with Tank Dell out for the season.