Texans wide receiver Nico Collins suffered a hamstring injury in practice on Wednesday that could sideline him for Houston’s Week 2 matchup with the Bengals on Sunday.
Testing revealed that Collins is not seriously injured, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, but even a one-week absence could be a significant issue for the Texans offense. The 27-year-old led the team in targets, receptions, and receiving yards in the regular-season opener, just as he has for the last three seasons. His performance was crucial in the Week 1 shootout with the Bills, a situation who could arise again against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati offense.
2025 second-round pick Jayden Higgins is out for the season with a torn ACL, and 2023 third-rounder Tank Dell will be out until at least Week 5 as he recovers from a knee injury of his own. If Collins is out, the Texans will need their other fourth-year wideouts – Xavier Hutchinson and Kayshon Boutte – to step up, while Jaylin Noel, another 2025 Day 2 pick, could be featured out of the slot. 2024 UDFA Jared Wayne could see more offensive involvement, while Mitchell Tinsley is likely the team’s top candidate to be elevated from the practice squad. Houston also has five tight ends on their 53-man roster and could lean on their 12 and 13 personnel formations in Week 2.
Collins missed five games with a hamstring injury in 2024, which could inspire the Texans to take a cautious approach with their star wideout on Sunday. Other than quarterback C.J. Stroud, no other player is more important to their offense, so worsening the issue by trying to play through it could lead to disaster down the line.
