The Houston Texans drafted Florida quarterback Graham Mertz in the sixth round (197th overall) of the 2025 NFL draft. For the season, he was slotted as the third-string option behind starter C.J. Stroud and backup Davis Mills. 

Standing at 6-foot-2, 216 lbs, Mertz was a dual threat option in the backfield, finishing his six-year collegiate career with 9,099 passing yards, 64 passing touchdowns, 31 interceptions and 13 rushing touchdowns.

He was also very accurate in his final two seasons, with respective completion percentages of 72.9% and 76.6% in 2023 and 2024* (*Major injury limited his final season to just five games).

With Stroud winning another nine games for the franchise, and Mills going 4-4 in his limited appearances (three starts, one off the bench), it wouldn't be feasible to believe that Mertz would escape being buried on the depth chart this past season. 

However, Mertz did get his chance to make an impression in the preseason, leading the team to a 26-7 victory over the Detroit Lions in their final preseason contest. He went 14/16 for 145 yards, one touchdown and a 125.3 passer rating.

Recently, reports have come out containing speculation that teams could look to Mills as an option for trade in the lead up to 2026 (the Texans Roundtable's Brogan Noey went into more detail here). Thus, Mertz might find himself as the designated QB2 on the Texans' depth chart come training camp time. 

Houston most likely would not be investing major financial capital in finding a top-tier option to backup Stroud, seeing as though there are several holes across the offensive side of the football still needing to be filled (offensive line, running back, tight end depth, etc.). With that being the case, Mertz has to succeed if Houston wants as little disruption as possible in their transition away from Mills. 

If that doesn't end up being the plan, the organization could look to several names in the free agent pool (or via trade) to bring competition into the quarterback room. Players like Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Will Levis and even Russell Wilson could all be options for general manager Nick Caserio if Mertz doesn't pan out. 

The hope of any team is to never have to lean heavily on backups at any position, but the harsh reality of the NFL is abundantly clear: Injuries happen, so be prepared.

For the second time since his rookie year in 2023, the Texans found themselves without Stroud due to a concussion. In both instances, they had to depend on their backups for multiple games just to stay in the hunt for the postseason until Stroud recovered. 

In 2023, it was Case Keenum going 1-1 as the spot-starter against the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns, and last season it was Mills who went a perfect 3-3 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills. All of the games were nail biters that Houston wound up pulling out in the end.

The point being, it is more likely than not that an injury situation will arise that causes for teams to "break glass in case of emergency". The Texans know all too well what that feels like, and they have to be sure about who their best replacement option will be. 

Do you think Mertz has a chance to become the Texans' QB2? Let us know in the comments section below or by mentioning us at @Texans_RTB on X and @Texans.Roundtable on TikTok!