Graham Mertz injury: Florida QB at risk of missing remainder of season after ‘significant’ collarbone fracture

Florida quarterback Graham Mertz suffered a non-displaced collarbone fracture right through the workforce’s 33-31 loss at Missouri on Saturday evening, trainer Billy Napier mentioned. Mertz suffered the harm within the 0.33 quarter whilst scrambling for an 11-yard achieve on third-and-5 with the Gators trailing 23-21.

Napier referred to as the harm “significant,” and it will sideline Mertz for the remainder of the 2023 season. 

“He’ll be out for a little bit,” Napier said. “Probably, we’ll have more information whether it’s surgical or not. I think right now the belief is that it may not be. We’ll need to get more images before we make that decision.”

The harm units up a competition conflict between Florida and Florida State subsequent week that can most probably characteristic two backup quarterbacks making their first begins of the season. FSU big name Jordan Travis left Saturday’s win over North Alabama within the first quarter with a leg harm. Though Seminoles trainer Mike Norvell didn’t supply an replace on Travis after the sport, the harm required Travis to be carted off the sector, casting his standing for subsequent week (and the postseason) into evident jeopardy.

Florida will most probably depend on redshirt freshman Max Brown, who carried out admirably in aid of Mertz because the Gators scored 10 issues within the fourth quarter to put themselves for a possible dissatisfied. Ultimately, Mizzou staged a overdue force to win the sport on a box purpose with seven seconds final. Brown is a former three-star prospect who’d thrown simply seven school passes ahead of coming into towards Missouri.

Florida State is prone to trip with redshirt junior Tate Rodemaker, who additionally carried out neatly given the instances with 217 yards passing and two touchdowns towards North Alabama. 

Mertz, a redshirt junior, nonetheless has one season of eligibility final that he may use after he transferred from Wisconsin over the offseason and reignited his occupation with the Gators. Including his statistics from the Missouri loss, Mertz will end the season 261 of 358 (72.9%) passing for two,903 yards with 20 touchdowns and simply 3 interceptions.

The Gators want to beat Florida State to steer clear of missing a bowl sport in consecutive seasons for the primary time since 1985 and 1986. Florida State will desire a win to stay its College Football Playoff hopes on course; then again, it has already locked up its spot within the ACC Championship Game vs. Louisville.