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Texans find No. 3 QB after Graham Mertz's season-ending injury
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- Texans find No. 3 QB after Graham Mertz's season-ending injury
With Graham Mertz expected to miss the entire 2026 NFL season, the Houston Texans have found their new No. 3 option.
According to KPRC 2 Sports' Aaron Wilson, the Texans are signing quarterback Brett Rypien to a one-year deal. He'll compete to make the active roster or at least stick around on the practice squad for the upcoming year.
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A former standout at Boise State, Rypien has appeared in 11 career games since entering the NFL in 2019, including starting in four games. He has not played in a regular-season game since 2023 with the Los Angeles Rams . For his career, Rypien has thrown for 1,414 yards with four touchdowns during his time with the Denver Broncos , Seattle Seahawks , Indianapolis Colts , Chicago Bears , Cincinnati Bengals , Minnesota Vikings and Rams
The Texans should feel good about their quarterback room with C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills , but Mertz was expected to be a factor in 2026. After taking over in the second drive against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday, Mertz struggled to find consistency.
In the final minutes of the first half, Mertz tried to get out of bounds, but his knee buckled as he went down on the turf. He needed medical assistance to get off the field and did not return for the second half.
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"For the update on Mertz, he was running towards the opponent's sideline and unfortunately non-contact," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said following the 27-7 loss. "We're evaluating him. Right now, he's looking at a knee injury, ACL. We'll get that update and see what happens."
According to multiple reports, Mertz did suffer a torn ACL that will require surgery.
"Hate it for Graham," Mills said. I've been there. I had some knee injuries in the past in high school and college. I'm wishing him the best. It's a long road to get back to recovery and get back to normal. He's a good player, a great guy and I know he'll come back stronger."
The Texans take on the Las Vegas Raiders this Thursday at Reliant Stadium.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans find No. 3 QB after Graham Mertz's season-ending injury
