 Mertz with theFlorida Gators in 2023 | |
| No. 18 – Houston Texans | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Roster status | Active |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (2000-12-06)December 6, 2000 (age 24) Overland Park, Kansas, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 212 lb (96 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Blue Valley North(Overland Park) |
| College | |
| NFL draft | 2025: 6th round, 197th overall pick |
| Career history | |
| |
| Stats atPro Football Reference | |
Graham Mertz (born December 6, 2000) is an American professionalfootballquarterback for theHouston Texans of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theWisconsin Badgers andFlorida Gators. Mertz was selected by the Texans in the sixth round of the2025 NFL draft.
Mertz's first two years of high school were spent atBishop Miege High School inRoeland Park, Kansas. While there, he playedhigh school football and backed up all-state quarterback Carter Putz.[1] Before his junior year, Mertz transferred toBlue Valley North High School inOverland Park, Kansas. He led Blue Valley North to a Class 6A state championship as a junior, and to state runner-up as a senior. In his senior year he completed 61.1% of his passes for 3,886 yards and a state-record 51 touchdowns.[2] He was a finalist for theElite 11 quarterback competition in 2018,[3] and was named Gatorade Kansas Football Player of the Year.[4] Graham was invited to theAll-American Bowl after his senior season, where he set a bowl record with five touchdown passes and was named game MVP.[5]
Mertz was rated as a four-star recruit byESPN,247Sports.com, andRivals.com.[6][7][8] ESPN rated him as the best pocket passer in the class of 2019 and 21st highest rated recruit overall.[8] In the 247Sports Composite, Mertz was rated as the third-highest rated pro-style quarterback, the highest rated Kansas recruit, and 65th highest rated recruit overall.[6]
Mertz committed to play football at theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison on October 9, 2017.[9]
Three-year Wisconsin starting quarterbackAlex Hornibrook announced he would be transferring toFlorida State for the2019 season, leaving a competition between Mertz and juniorJack Coan.[10][11] ESPN described Mertz as Wisconsin's "most hyped QB sinceRussell Wilson."[1] Mertz ultimately lost the starting job to Coan, andredshirted his true freshman season after appearing in two games.[12]
With Coan injured in practice before the2020 season, Mertz began the season as the starting quarterback, becoming the first freshman quarterback to start a season-opening game for the Badgers since1978.[13] Mertz started the game with 17 consecutive completed passes, tying the school record, and his final line of 20-for-21 broke the school single-game completion percentage record with 95.2%. His five passing touchdowns in the 45–7 win overIllinois also tied the school single-game record.[13] He was named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week for the performance.[14] The day after the Illinois game, Mertz tested positive for COVID-19, in what would prove to be a team-wide outbreak that forced the cancellation of their next two games againstNebraska andPurdue. Mertz recovered in time for the team's next game againstMichigan, which the Badgers won 49–11, despite a more subdued performance from Mertz, who threw for 127 yards and two touchdowns in the game. Wisconsin lost its next three games, againstNorthwestern,Indiana, andIowa, with Mertz throwing four interceptions to just one passing touchdown during that stretch. In the final game of the regular season, against rivalMinnesota, played on Big Ten Championship Saturday, Mertz left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury. The Badgers eventually won in overtime, 20–17.[15] The Badgers were invited to play againstWake Forest in theDuke's Mayo Bowl. Mertz went 11-for-17, with 130 passing yards and one touchdown in the 42–28 win.[16] After the game, Mertz dropped the trophy in the locker room celebration, shattering the football made of glass on the top of the trophy.[17][18][19]
Mertz served as the starting quarterback in all 13 games for Wisconsin during his redshirt sophomore season in2021, leading the Badgers to a 9–4 record and a victory in theLas Vegas Bowl. He finished the season with 1,958 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.[20]
Mertz served as the starting quarterback for Wisconsin once again in his redshirt junior season in2022, leading the Badgers to a 6–6 regular season record. In a 42–7 win againstNorthwestern on October 8, he set a career high with 299 passing yards and five touchdown passes.[21] He finished the season with 2,136 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.[22]
On December 4, 2022, prior to Wisconsin'sbowl game, Mertz announced he was entering the transfer portal.[23][24]
Mertz joined the Florida Gators in the spring of 2023. Mertz served as the starting quarterback for Florida in2023, leading the Gators to a 5–6 record. He finished the season with 2,903 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, and three interceptions.[25]
Mertz returned as the starting quarterback for Florida in 2024.[26]He suffered a season-ending ACL tear againstTennessee.[27] As 2024 was Mertz's final collegiate season, the injury also ended his college career. He finished his Gators tenure as the school's career leader in completion percentage.[28]
| Season | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | |||
| 2019 | Wisconsin | 2 | 0 | 0–0 | 9 | 10 | 90.0 | 73 | 7.3 | 0 | 0 | 151.3 | 2 | 6 | 3.0 | 0 | |
| 2020 | Wisconsin | 7 | 7 | 4–3 | 118 | 193 | 61.1 | 1,238 | 6.4 | 9 | 5 | 125.2 | 36 | 38 | 1.1 | 2 | |
| 2021 | Wisconsin | 13 | 13 | 9–4 | 169 | 284 | 59.5 | 1,958 | 6.9 | 10 | 11 | 121.3 | 37 | -25 | -0.7 | 4 | |
| 2022 | Wisconsin | 12 | 12 | 6–6 | 164 | 286 | 57.3 | 2,136 | 7.5 | 19 | 10 | 135.0 | 50 | -40 | -0.8 | 2 | |
| 2023 | Florida | 11 | 11 | 5–6 | 261 | 358 | 72.9 | 2,903 | 8.1 | 20 | 3 | 157.8 | 62 | -75 | -1.2 | 4 | |
| 2024 | Florida | 5 | 5 | 2–3 | 72 | 94 | 76.6 | 791 | 8.4 | 6 | 2 | 164.1 | 18 | 56 | 3.1 | 1 | |
| Career | 50 | 48 | 26–22 | 793 | 1,225 | 64.7 | 9,099 | 7.4 | 64 | 31 | 139.3 | 205 | -40 | -0.2 | 13 | ||
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft3+3⁄8 in (1.91 m) | 212 lb (96 kg) | 31+1⁄4 in (0.79 m) | 9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) | |||||||||
| All values fromNFL Combine[30][31] | ||||||||||||
Mertz was drafted by theHouston Texans in the sixth round, with the 197th overall pick in the2025 NFL draft.[32]
Mertz made the roster, starting the 2025 season as QB3 behind C.J. Stroud & Davis Mills.[33]
Graham's father, Ron Mertz, played football as an offensive lineman atMinnesota from 1989 to 1992.[2][1] Graham has two sisters that playedcollege basketball: Lauren, atKansas State, and Mya, atDrake.[1]