The Jets’ acquisition of wide receiver John Metchie III didn’t garner much attention.
Days before they traded away Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams in a full-blown fire sale, the Jets quietly added Metchie in the deal that sent cornerback Michael Carter II to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Metchie, a third-year pro, had been buried on Philadelphia’s star-powered receiver depth chart. And his name wasn’t as splashy as that of Adonai Mitchell, the speedy second-year receiver the Indianapolis Colts traded to the Jets as part of the package for Gardner.
But Metchie is making the most of his chance with the Jets — and teammates are taking notice.
“He’s a very smart player,” quarterback Tyrod Taylor said. “He’s a pro’s pro. I’m looking forward to him [getting] to continue to be a big part of our success.”
Metchie, 25, recorded a career-high six receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s 23-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
It was the second game in a row in which Metchie hauled in a touchdown.
Three games into his Jets career, the 5-11 Metchie boasts 10 receptions for 113 yards and the two scores.
That production has been much needed for a Jets receiver group that’s missing Garrett Wilson due to a knee injury and that lacked a consistent second option even when Wilson was healthy.
“There’s a lot of people that don’t really see what he does behind closed doors,” head coach Aaron Glenn said of Metchie. “He’s here every morning at 6 a.m. in our indoor [facility], catching 300 balls.”
Metchie, who spent one year at Peddie School in Hightstown, N.J., was a college star at Alabama, where he was a favorite target of quarterbacks Mac Jones and Jalen Milroe.
For the 2020 team that won the national championship, Metchie finished second on the Crimson Tide with 916 receiving yards, trailing only Heisman winner DeVonta Smith.
In 2021, Metchie made a team-high 96 catches for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns.
And even though Metchie tore his ACL during the 2021 SEC Championship Game, the Houston Texans took him with the No. 44 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft — one slot behind where the Giants selected receiver Wan’Dale Robinson.
But Metchie was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia that summer, causing him to sit out his entire rookie season.
Metchie made his NFL debut in 2023, but over two seasons with the Texans, he totaled only 40 receptions and one touchdown.
In August, the Texans traded Metchie to the Eagles, reuniting him with his college teammate Smith. Metchie made four catches for 18 yards in seven games before Philadelphia sent him to the Jets.
“Whichever team, wherever you are, I think it’s always an opportunity,” Metchie said after joining the Jets, who fell to 2-9 with Sunday’s loss.
“You really look to make an impact on whatever team you’re on, whether it’s a really good team or whatever you want to call it, but I think it’s about the individual and how you go about your business.”
The Jets are pleased with how Metchie is handling his business so far.
When he and Mitchell arrived to the Jets, Taylor says he stayed late at practice with the young receivers to help get them up to speed.
Taylor, 36, was the backup quarterback at the time but has since replaced Justin Fields as the starter, beginning with the Ravens game.
“Once I was told I was the starter, we spent a lot of time … conversing, watching film and getting on the same page,” Taylor said. “I think that our connection will continue to grow.”
Metchie’s two touchdowns with the Jets are already more than the one he totaled in 36 games with the Texans and Eagles.
He played 86% of the snaps on Sunday to lead all Jets receivers after never receiving more than a 16% snap share with Philly.
Metchie looks to carry that momentum into Sunday afternoon, when the Jets host the Atlanta Falcons (4-7) at MetLife Stadium.
“He had an ACL, he fought a battle with an illness, and he’s come back from all those things,” Glenn said. “Success is in his future no matter what he does, and I’m not surprised at all that he’s having success right now.”
