John Metchie III's rapid Eagles intro begins with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith on sideline

New York Times

8 hours ago

PHILADELPHIA — John Metchie III approached the line of scrimmage with the first-team offense about 70 minutes into his first practice with the Eagles. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith watched from the sideline. Neither star receiver practiced while nursing injuries. Somewhere in the trainer's room in the team facility, Johnny Wilson was being examined for an apparent lower-body injury that required him to exit Tuesday's session early and was significant enough that he needed a cart to take him inside the building.
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This should offer a sense about the state of the Eagles' wide receivers at the moment — with 'at the moment' carrying considerable weight.
On most days, the Eagles' receivers are the envy of the NFL. Come Sept. 4 against the Dallas Cowboys, that might be the case. It's not this week.
Brown has a hamstring injury that has sidelined him for most of training camp. Smith has a groin injury that kept him out on Tuesday. At this point, the Eagles want to be conservative with front-line players while eyeing the season opener. If they're still missing practice with a week to go before the Cowboys game, it would be more of a concern.
Regardless, the Eagles acquired Metchie on Sunday to add more talent to a group that was unsettled behind Brown, Smith, and Jahan Dotson. Metchie, 24, was the No. 44 overall pick in the 2022 draft and had become expendable in Houston. The Eagles, who have acquired 28 players during the past two years who were drafted in the first three rounds by other teams, like to gamble on unrealized talent.
'I think just going with the flow, I was not necessarily shocked, I was just into my process — not worried about outcomes,' Metchie said of the trade.
He'll have an opportunity with the Eagles. Depending upon the status of Wilson, the Eagles' No. 4 and 5 receiver spots (and maybe even No. 6) are undetermined. Undrafted rookie Darius Cooper worked with the first-team offense on Tuesday. Second-year receiver Ainias Smith also mixed into the group. There's not a major roadblock for Metchie to become a top reserve.
The way the offense functions — or rather, struggles to function — without Brown and DeVonta Smith is a sign of how badly the Eagles need their top duo back for the season. Dotson and Metchie give the Eagles pedigreed players behind the top pair, while Wilson, if healthy, offers a big-bodied pass catcher who can help block and play special teams. Cooper is the camp darling who will try to seal his bid for the 53-man roster with a strong preseason finale, while Ainias Smith will hope the momentum of two preseason touchdowns and his return ability helps his case.
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Of course, there was a reason why the Eagles acquired Metchie. If Howie Roseman was not intrigued by adding Metchie to the mix, he wouldn't have dropped down from the fifth to the sixth round in the 2026 draft and dealt tight end Harrison Bryant.
The first teammate to reach out to Metchie was DeVonta Smith, who played with Metchie at Alabama. When Metchie was recovering from acute promyelocytic leukemia in 2022, Smith wore a Metchie T-shirt to honor his friend before an Eagles-Texans game. 'It definitely meant a lot to me in that moment,' Metchie said Tuesday, and their bond can help with the transition from Houston to Philadelphia.
'He'll have some of the guys to lean on a little bit differently, like DeVonta Smith and say, 'Hey, what do I really need to know and how do things work?'' Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo said.
The Eagles wasted little time with Metchie — in part because of how late it is in camp, in part because of necessity. The final day of training camp is Wednesday. The preseason finale is Friday. Preparation for Dallas begins soon after. Metchie spent most of his time with the second-team offense. He made a leaping catch on a pass from Kyle McCord and later mixed in with the first-team offense and hauled in a short pass from Hurts.
Jalen Hurts
Eagles
'Two things are happening — one, it's a mental learning process, you have to learn a new offense, new scheme, really the words,' Metchie said. 'And the second, it's just football. Football is football — you run routes against the defense.'
The Eagles have precedent for this type of move. Dotson, a former first-round pick, was acquired during this same timeframe last summer. He did not practice before the preseason finale. By Week 1, he was the No. 3 receiver. By Week 4, he was the top receiver with Brown and Smith injured.
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There were more expectations on Dotson — and the price was more expensive, too — but it offered Nick Sirianni's coaching staff a template for the transition at the position. That took time, and even this summer, the Eagles have touted the benefit of a full offseason with Dotson rather than the trial-by-fire approach of an August acquisition.
'I think when you bring a guy in later in camp, they have to be caught up to speed as fast as they can,' Patullo said. 'But still having a couple weeks left, I think the timing's pretty good. (Wide receivers coach) Aaron Morehead does a really good job. He's been with us the whole time. He knows the system, knows where we're going with things, and then he'll be familiar with DeVonta and some of the other guys to lean on. So, I think from the standpoint of bringing a guy in, we're in a pretty good spot where he can still pick it up and feel confident in what he can do.'
Dotson is also a resource. The two have a relationship dating back to high school, when Dotson hosted Metchie on a visit to the Peddie School, a New Jersey prep school one hour from the Eagles' facility. Metchie also considered joining Dotson at Penn State.
'Dive into that playbook!' Dotson said. 'That's kind of what I've been telling him. Try to learn as much as possible, as fast as possible, to give yourself the best chance to get out on the field. That's truly the only way to get out there is to know what you're doing. He has all the talent and tools to be out there.'
Metchie showed the talent during his junior season at Alabama, when he finished with 96 catches for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games before tearing his ACL in the SEC Championship Game. Even more serious, Metchie was diagnosed with APL later that year. He missed his rookie season while undergoing treatment.
Metchie returned to the field in 2023 — an inspiring story within itself — and played 29 games during the past two seasons. His modest production (40 catches, 412 yards, one touchdown), combined with the Texans adding two Day 2 wide receivers and veteran Christian Kirk this offseason, prompted Houston to move him. The Eagles offer a chance to display his college form with four former Alabama teammates on the roster.
'I don't ever think you go back to being the same person. I think you always change,' Metchie said. 'It definitely took some time, with all the health things, you have to build yourself back up. I think I'm a different person – I'm a better player, and it'll help me as a person and a player.'
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How is he better?
'I think faster, for sure,' he said.
Because he needed to rebuild his body, Metchie said he became more efficient with movement and functionality. At 6-feet and 195 pounds, Metchie can move around the formation. Patullo suggested that was one of the appeals of adding Metchie.
'I'm just trying to bring something to the table, contribute to a team that's already so good,' Metchie said.
That's always a challenge with trades — finding where you fit amid a whirlwind of emotions. It's not only a new team. It's a different city with unknown coworkers while reconciling that your previous employer has moved on without you. It was a topic Brown, Smith, and Dotson recently discussed in the locker room.
'You feel you're being betrayed a little bit,' Dotson said. 'You can't frown about it. You can't look down upon it. You have to attack it and make the most of your opportunity. …That's life itself. When life knocks you down, you look for the next obstacle and attack it.'
Metchie doesn't need that reminder. In three years, he's recovered from a torn ACL and survived cancer. Changing offenses might seem less daunting. Contributing to the Eagles is the next challenge.
'Just being present with everything, living the dream, not worrying about a bunch of things you can't control — that's probably the biggest one,' Metchie said of his past three years. 'And understand the things you can control, the things you're grateful for.'
• The injury report is mounting for the Eagles. Tackle Jordan Mailata was out with a concussion. Quarterback Tanner McKee missed practice with a finger injury that does not require surgery, according to a league source. Smith and Landon Dickerson (knee) were the other starters sidelined. Tight end Dallas Goedert was limited with a groin injury.
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• Rookie safety Drew Mukuba, who had been pushing to win the starting job next to Reed Blankenship, exited practice with an apparent hamstring injury. He tried to continue practicing before retreating to a medical tent.
• Adoree' Jackson took most of the first-team snaps at cornerback, a sign that he could be the favorite in the quest to find a No. 2 cornerback. Jakorian Bennett also mixed in with the first-team defense. Of note: Kelee Ringo did not work with the top group. In fact, Ringo played behind rookie Mac McWilliams on Tuesday.
• With McKee out, Kyle McCord took every snap as the second-team quarterback ahead of Dorian Thompson-Robinson. That could be an indication that McCord is in the lead for the No. 3 quarterback spot one week away from cut-down day.
• With Mailata out, Matt Pryor played left tackle. Pryor has now played left tackle and right tackle with the first-team offensive line this summer, putting him as the likely option for the valuable swing tackle role entering the season.
• Nolan Smith dropped into coverage and recorded an interception off Hurts — an impressive play for the edge rusher. It was a sloppy day for the offense, which might be expected for a group missing Brown, Smith, Mailata, and Dickerson.
(Top photo of John Metchie III: Zach Berman / The Athletic)
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