Graham Mertz injury update: Billy Napier shares latest on Florida QB after concussion
After missing the second game of the season last weekend with a concussion, Graham Mertz has one more thing to do this week before returning to the field for Florida.
Billy Napier provided an update on the Gators’ quarterback during his press conference on Monday. He noted a last portion of the concussion protocol that Mertz has to complete. They’ll then go from there with him through this week.
“There’s a – I think there’s one more step we’ve got to go through,” said Napier. “So I think today he’ll be – this is his non-contact practice and then we’ll have another punch list to go through there.”
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Mertz left the opening loss of the year in the third quarter with an eventual diagnosis of a concussion. That left him in protocol for the week with DJ Lagway taking first-team reps and getting the start in a 45-7 win over Samford on Saturday.
That leaves a bit of quarterback question to be answered down in Gainesville. Mertz had a career year last fall while starting there and got the job again coming into this season. That began with him going 11-20 (55%) for 91 yards and an interception before leaving against Miami. However, Lagway, the former five-star prospect, showed what many wanted to see, albeit against a small opponent, this weekend. He went 18-25 (72%) for 456 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start.
Firstly, though, Mertz has to get back cleared and healthy. That comes down to a single matter over the next few days before they kick off again this weekend against a conference opponent in Texas A&M.
Napier confirms Florida intends to play both DJ Lagway, Graham Mertz
On Monday, Billy Napier confirmed that Florida intends to play both Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway moving forward.
“I think our intention the entire time has been to play DJ in every game,” Napier said. “Obviously, he gets a little bit more experienced each week. And certainly, for him to have the opportunity to be the starter, prepare with the ones, and then go play. The way he did that – the poise, the composure. I just think it shows that he’s ready to do what we intend to do with him going forward.”
“It’s a blessing to have two really good quarterbacks and certainly one with a ton of experience and one without. But there’s no doubt both these guys will make us harder to defend. We intend to use both of them.”