It sounds like Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz will be healthy for the Michigan game, but it’s unclear whether or not he’ll play.
Mertz has been out ever since he tested positive for coronavirus after lighting up Illinois, but all signs have pointed to him playing against Michigan. Well, even if he’s good to go, it doesn’t sound like it’s a guarantee he’ll be on the field. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
QB1 is back at work. #Badgers pic.twitter.com/H2ddErCmxL
— Stephen Watson (@WISN_Watson) November 7, 2020
“I think he’ll be able to have some practice, and we’ll see if it’s enough practice time,” head coach Paul Chryst told the media in a video tweeted late Monday afternoon by Fox Sports Wisconsin.
You can watch his full comments below.
Will Graham Mertz be back at quarterback for the #Badgers on Saturday? #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/BlL7B9nrtj
— FOX Sports Wisconsin (@fswisconsin) November 9, 2020
I’ve talked about this situation a ton with a bunch of different people, and it’s an interesting situation the Badgers are in.
If Mertz is healthy, then he’s without a doubt the best option at quarterback for the Badgers. There’s no close second.
He lit up Illinois in epic fashion, and is our best passer since Russell Wilson. However, do you really want to throw a kid into the fire after not playing football for three weeks?
That seems like a risky proposition. Not playing a game for more than 21 days is going to require knocking off some substantial rust, especially when he had to quarantine for a large part of it.
However, if there’s anyone who can do it, it’s Graham Mertz.
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We’ll see what happens this upcoming Saturday, but I have complete confidence in Paul Chryst that he’ll do whatever is necessary to put Wisconsin in the best position to win the game.
You can catch all the action at 7:30 EST on ABC!