Texans QB Graham Mertz Feared to Have Torn ACL in Preseason Opener

Preseason football is a necessary evil, mostly existing to sell overpriced stadium beers and ruin depth charts. The Houston Texans just got a brutal reminder of the latter.

According to Adam Schefter, the Texans believe quarterback Graham Mertz tore his ACL during Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. They are waiting on additional testing to confirm, but the initial diagnosis is the exact kind of news that makes coaches want to bubble-wrap their entire roster until September.

"Adam Schefter reported that the Texans believe Mertz tore his ACL and are awaiting additional testing to confirm."

Houston ended up losing the exhibition game 27-7, but the scoreboard is completely irrelevant when a player goes down with a knee injury in August. Mertz was out there trying to secure his spot and get live reps, and now he is likely facing a grueling rehab process before the regular season even kicks off.

Losing a quarterback in a game that officially does not matter is the ultimate gut punch. It is like totaling your car on the way to get an oil change. Now, instead of evaluating their current roster, the Texans' front office has to pivot immediately to damage control.

This kind of injury sends immediate ripples through the backup quarterback market. Every veteran sitting on his couch waiting for a phone call just bumped up his asking price, and Houston is suddenly on the clock to figure out who is taking snaps if disaster strikes their starting lineup during the actual season.

We will wait for the MRI results to make it official, but the writing is on the wall. If the tear is confirmed, Mertz's season is over before it started, and the Texans will be scanning the waiver wire and trade blocks to patch a sudden hole in their quarterback room.