Graham Mertz #18 of the Houston Texans throws a pass against the Detroit Lions. Getty
The Houston Texans opened up their preseason action with a 27-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night, showing that this team still has some work to do before Week 1 arrives. While there were positive and negative takeaways from this game, all eyes were on quarterback Graham Mertz once the clock struck zero.
The No. 3 quarterback on the Texans' depth chart, Mertz was expected to get most of the snaps for his team in this game, but instead, he suffered a concerning injury that forced him out of the game early. With the medical team running tests on Mertz, Houston has received a crushing update on his injury status that could force the front office into action.
Houston selected Mertz in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he spent his rookie season working behind C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills on the depth chart. With only three quarterbacks on the depth chart, Mertz was widely expected to reprise his role with the team from last season, regardless of whether he was on the 53-man roster or the practice squad.
Mertz spent six years in college, splitting time with the Wisconsin Badgers and Florida Gators. While he only played in five games for Florida as a senior, his stats from the 2023 campaign were enough to convince the Texans to take a flier on him late in the draft (261/358, 2,903 YDS, 20 TD, 3 INT).
Mertz isn't exactly a flashy prospect, but he is an accurate passer who cut down his turnovers significantly during his time in college. After he went down against the Chargers, though, concerns about his status arose, and sure enough, the Texans fear that Mertz suffered a torn ACL , which would end his season before it ever truly began.
"Texans believe QB Graham Mertz tore his ACL during Thursday night's preseason opener vs the Chargers. There is expected to be additional testing to confirm the injury," Adam Schefter of ESPN reported in a post on X.
GettyGraham Mertz #18 of the Houston Texans throws a pass against the Detroit Lions .
Losing Mertz was a particularly tough blow for the Texans, because they only have three quarterbacks on their roster currently. Stroud didn't suit up for this clash against the Texans, which forced Mills back into the action once he went down. As the No. 2 option, Houston doesn't want to throw Mills into harm's way more than it has to, but thankfully he managed to make it through this game in one piece.
With Mertz's season likely over, the Texans will have to find another quarterback or two to come in and round out their depth chart. The options at this point in training camp aren't exactly bountiful, but unless something goes truly awry, whichever player they bring to town likely wouldn't play much in 2026. Houston will make sure Mertz has truly torn his ACL, but it looks like his season has already come to a disappointing end.
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