Florida Gators QB Graham Mertz might end up regretting his comments about the 2024 season

Florida Gators quarterback Graham Mertz might end up regretting the comments he made to SEC Network's Paul Finebaum this week.

Mertz joined Finebaum for a brief interview on Monday and he was asked about Florida's incredibly tough schedule in 2024.

The Gators open at home against the Miami Hurricanes before playing a conference slate that includes games against the Texas A&M Aggies, Tennessee Vols, Kentucky Wildcats, Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Tigers, and the Ole Miss Rebels. Florida also plays the Florida State Seminoles in the traditional rivalry game between the two programs.

Additionally, Florida plays a non-conference game against UCF in the middle of the season.

That's as brutal as it gets -- especially for a program with a head coach in Billy Napier that's squarely on the hot seat after going 11-14 over his first two seasons in Gainesville.

Mertz, however, says he's ready for the challenge. In fact, he said he wants a schedule like that.

“If you’re a competitor, if you play this game, you want a schedule like that,” said Mertz. “You want to get everybody’s best. You don’t want a schedule that’s the easiest in the country. I mean that’s not why you play the game, that’s not why you come to Florida. So I think the biggest thing for us is we’re excited about the opportunity.”

I like Mertz's mindset -- elite competitors just want to compete. And that's all Mertz is worried about.

But those comments could come back to haunt him. It's not like Florida is a player or two away from competing for a natty. Napier has done a questionable job at best so far in Gainesville. And while I'm sure Florida fans will suggest otherwise, it's unlikely he survives the season. That's not the kind of schedule that a rebuilding program needs. In fact, it's the last thing the Gators need. They would be much better off with Missouri's light SEC schedule.

If/when Napier gets fired, those comments from Mertz are going to resurface. And he's going to cringe.

It happens. Just ask Joe Milton, who had some shade thrown at him by Gators players last year after the former Tennessee quarterback said last summer that he doesn't lose in Florida (and then Tennessee lost to Florida in Gainesville a couple of months later).

Florida players had some fun with that one.

Maybe Mertz should've learned a lesson from Milton last year.

Related: Former Vols OC Alex Golesh gets candid about taking over a tough situation at Tennessee in 2021