John Metchie III Returns To Texans Practice After Leukemia Battle

John Metchie III has made yet another huge stride in his recovery from cancer ... the star wide receiver returned to Texans practice Tuesday -- and he looked good!!!

The former Univ. of Alabama wideout was diagnosed with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia a few months after he was drafted by Houston last year ... and he was forced to sit out his entire rookie season while receiving treatment.

But, the 22-year-old fought it all valiantly throughout the year ... and he was finally able to rejoin his teammates on the practice field this week.

The wideout -- rockin' the No. 8 and a sweet pair of sunglasses -- caught a ton of passes throughout the workout ... and photos from the team show he certainly looked like he belonged.

The goal, of course, is to be ready for Week 1 in September ... and new Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans appeared cautiously optimistic earlier this month that that could be a real possibility.

"With John, as with every other player, we're going to take it one day at a time and see where he can grow and where he can be when the time comes," Ryans told reporters. "At the right time, when the season comes, we'll see where he is."

The Texans could certainly use the playmaker -- their offense ranked near the bottom of the league in passing yards in '22 with just 3,642.