The Houston Texans could be looking for a new No. 3 quarterback.
According to reports, the Texans fear that second-year passer Graham Mertz suffered a torn ACL on a non-contact injury during Thursday's preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said following the 27-7 loss that the team was still undergoing tests, but the initial fear was that Mertz would miss an extended period of time.
Mertz, a sixth-round pick in 2025, spent the whole season as the third quarterback behind C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills while recovering from a torn ACL suffered during his senior season at Florida. He did not see action last season and was often ruled inactive on gameday.
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. pic.twitter.com/BP6NvwUn0r
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 14, 2026
After Mills led the scoring drive in the first quarter, his night was supposed to be done. Mertz tried to get out of bounds with seconds remaining in the first half, 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.
Mertz was 4-of-7 for 23 yards, with his longest pass coming on a 6-yard slant. Mills finished 9-of-15 for 82 yards and a score.
The Texans do not currently have a third quarterback on their roster and they'll likely move to add one before Thursday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders if the tests come back positive on the torn ACL.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans QB Graham Mertz believed to suffered torn ACL vs. Chargers