Former Gator QB Graham Mertz answers critics with sharp preseason finish

From a Gator to a Texan, former Florida quarterback Graham Mertz had a huge day in week three of NFL preseason on Saturday.

After a rough first two preseason performances, the 24-year-old settled in the pocket, and had the bounce-back performance he needed. Mertz was 14-for-16 in passing attempts, with 145 yards, one touchdown, and 20 rushing yards in the Texans’ 26-7 win over the Lions.

Mertz’s touchdown pass came in the second quarter. It was a six-yard pass to Quintez Cephus for his first touchdown of the preseason. That touchdown completed a 122-yard drive in which Mertz completed 11-of-13 passes and ended the drive with the touchdown pass to Cephus.

In week one, Mertz was 7-for-14 on passing completions, with just 27 yards, and threw three interceptions.

He locked in a little more in week two, completing both of his two pass attempts, but only acquired two yards.

Mertz, fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster, needed to show up in week three, and he did just that with a completely different performance than the first two weeks.

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans spoke on how impressed he was with the rookie quarterback against the Lions.

“I’m really proud of Graham,” Ryans said. “The way he got in and really commanded the offense, he was under control, playing with great energy, great communication, did a really nice job of moving the ball up and down the field.” He noted he was glad he was able to get playing time after not getting as much in the first two weeks."

Ryans praised Mertz’s composure and seeing him take advantage of the opportunity he was given when given time to get meaningful reps on Saturday.

“He has a bright future ahead of him,” exclaimed Ryans.

If Mertz can sneak onto the 53-man roster, with the Colts and Texans in the same division, Gators fans could see the battle of Gator quarterbacks if Anthony Richardson and Graham Mertz get the opportunity to face off against each other.

With preseason complete, the official week 1 is on deck. The Texans open their 2025 regular season on the road against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, September 7 at 3:25 PM CDT.