HOUSTON – The Texans have signed sixth-round rookie quarterback Graham Mertz to a four-year, $4.934 million contract, per a league source.
Mertz received a $228,484 signing bonus.
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The University of Florida quarterback was drafted in the sixth round after a trade.
Mertz began his career at Wisconsin before transferring.
He is known as a classic pocket passer.
At Florida, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament against Tennessee last season. He is the Gators’ all-time leader in completion percentage.
Two seasons ago, he went 5-6 as a starter and passed for 2,903 yards, 20 touchdowns and three interceptions.
Mertz set some passing records at Wisconsin, including 17 consecutive completions to tie a school record and broke the single-game completion percentage record with a 20-21 performance (95.2 percent). He tied a school record with five touchdown passes against Illinois.
In his final season at Wisconsin, he passed for 2,136 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
A native of Overland Park, Kansas, Mertz was a Gatorade Kansas Football Player of the Year and named to the All-American Bowl as a senior as he threw five touchdown passes and was named Most Valuable Player. He passed for 3,886 yards and a state record 51 touchdowns as a senior.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
