Collins (hamstring) remained limited at Thursday's practice.
Collins has been limited in consecutive practice appearances as he works his way back from a hamstring injury that has sidelined him for the past two weeks. Houston's top option in the passing game has one more chance to upgrade to full participation Friday, which could help Collins avoid an injury designation ahead of Sunday's home game against the Cowboys.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Practicing again Thursday
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Collins (hamstring) is taking part in Thursday's padded practice, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
After missing the Texans' last two games due a Grade 1 hamstring strain, Collins returned to practice Wednesday as a limited participant. The Texans will release their second Week 4 injury report later Thursday, but Collins appears poised to at least maintain limited participation. If he can make it through the practice week no worse for the wear, the star wideout looks to be trending toward a return to the lineup this Sunday versus the Cowboys.
Collins (hamstring) was limited in Wednesday's practice.
It was Collins' first practice since he was injured in practice ahead of Week 2, causing him to miss the last two contests. A limited start to the week is a good sign, but Collins will need to avoid setbacks before being counted on for Sunday's potential showdown with the Cowboys.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Practicing Wednesday
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Collins (hamstring) returned to practice Wednesday, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
After Collins sat out Week 2 and Week 3 due to a strained hamstring, coach Demeco Ryans said Monday that the Texans were "hopeful" the wide receiver will be available this coming Sunday versus the Cowboys, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston. Getting back on the practice field Wednesday is a step in the right direction for Collins, but how he progresses the rest of the week will determine whether or not he's able to suit up Week 4.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Making good progress
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Collins (hamstring) is making good progress in his recovery, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Collins was forced to miss Sunday's 19-17 loss to the Colts as he continues to nurse a hamstring injury that he suffered Week 1. It was his second straight contest on the bench, but head coach DeMeco Ryans explained following Sunday's loss that the wide receiver has been "progressing really well," leaving the door open for a return in Week 4 for Collins.
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Texans' Nico Collins: May return in Week 4
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Collins (hamstring), who is missing a second game in a row Sunday at Indianapolis, has "a decent chance" to return to action in Week 4 against the Cowboys on Sunday, Oct. 4, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Collins hasn't logged any on-field reps since injuring his hamstring at practice on Wednesday, Sept. 16, but following Schefter's report Sunday morning, the wide receiver appears as if he'll give it a go at practice this week to see if a return is possible next weekend. In the meantime, Kayshon Boutte, Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel and Jared Wayne will be the primary wide receivers available to QB C.J. Stroud.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Not practicing Friday
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Collins (hamstring) isn't practicing Friday and is slated to miss a second game in a row, Aaron Wilson reports.
With Collins now set for another absence after missing practice throughout the week, Houston is left with Kayshon Boutte, Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel and Jared Wayne as the top wide receivers. Last week, TE Dalton Schultz dominated the team's receiving production, and the offense may again run through TEs and/or RBs in the absence of a credible threat at wide receiver. Collins is said to have a Grade 1 hamstring strain, which is the least severe variety, but he hasn't returned to practice since initially suffering the injury at practice last Wednesday.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Status 'very much in doubt'
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Collins (hamstring) is "very much in doubt" for Sunday's game against the Colts, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Another missed practice for Collins on Thursday left his Week 3 availability very much up in the air, and Rapoport's comments indicate it's more likely than not Collins will miss a second straight game. Another official update on Collins will be come when the Texans release their final injury report of the week Friday afternoon.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Officially DNP again Thursday
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Collins (hamstring) was listed as a non-participant at Thursday's practice.
Collins seems to be headed toward a second consecutive absence Sunday against the Colts, as he hasn't practiced since sustaining a hamstring injury last Wednesday. Barring an improbable recovery from Collins, which would be precipitated by a return to practice Friday, Dalton Schultz is likely to function as the top pass catcher for C.J. Stroud on Sunday. Schultz caught 12 of 14 targets for 140 yards in Collins' absence against the Bengals this past Sunday, while Stroud connected on only nine of 26 passes intended for Houston's wide receivers.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Could miss two games
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Collins may miss two games due to a hamstring injury, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Collins already has been ruled out for Sunday's game versus the Bengals as a result of the hamstring injury that he picked up at Wednesday's practice. The injury isn't considered to be a long-term concern, but as Wilson reports, the Texans could err on the side of caution and keep him out for Week 3 at Indianapolis as well to ensure the issue doesn't linger. In Collins' absence, Houston will roll with Xavier Hutchinson, Kayshon Boutte, Jaylin Noel, Jared Wayne and practice-squad call-up Lewis Bond at wide receiver.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Ruled out for Week 2
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Collins (hamstring) will not play Sunday against the Bengals.
Collins injured his hamstring during Wednesday's practice and wasn't able to return Thursday or Friday. With his absence confirmed, the Texans have Kayshon Boutte, Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel and Jared Wayne as their healthy options at wide receiver. Collins typically accounts for more than one-fourth of Houston's targets, so his absence also could push some volume toward the team's RBs and TEs.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Not spotted at Friday's practice
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Collins (hamstring) wasn't spotted at the start of Friday's practice, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
With Collins now absent from the media-access portion of practice after being listed as a non-participant Thursday, his status for Sunday's game against the Bengals remains in doubt. The Texans' final injury report may offer more clarity Friday afternoon.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Listed as non-participant
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Collins (hamstring) was listed as a non-participant on Thursday's injury report.
Collins injured his hamstring at Wednesday's practice, and although he was listed as limited on Houston's first practice report of the week, he was tagged as a 'DNP' a day later. He's believed to be dealing with a Grade 1 strain and reportedly is not facing an extended absence, but his availability for Week 2 will likely hinge on whether or not he can get any work in at Friday's session.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Limited by hamstring injury
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Collins was limited at Wednesday's practice due to a hamstring injury.
Collins spent time on IR during the 2024 season due to a hamstring injury, but there's no indication yet that his status may be in question for Week 2. In any case, his status will be monitored as the week continues to get a sense of his ability to play Sunday against the Bengals. Collins hauled in seven of 10 targets for 75 yards and a touchdown in a Week 1 loss to the Bills.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Paces Houston with 75 receiving yards
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Collins caught seven of 10 targets for 75 yards and a touchdown while adding a seven-yard run in Sunday's 36-31 loss to the Bills.
C.J. Stroud connected with Collins for a 12-yard touchdown in the second quarter, marking the first touchdown of the season for both Houston's quarterback and the team's star wide receiver. Collins led the Texans in targets, catches and receiving yards Sunday after finishing as Houston's receiving yards leader in each of the previous three regular seasons. He is locked in as Stroud's top target heading into a Week 2 home game against the Bengals.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Injury-free entering camp
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Collins said his workload limitations during the offseason were not injury related, and that he was simply being rested ahead of training camp, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.
The wideout has yet to play a full 17-game slate in his NFL career, so the organization's desire to make sure he's 100 percent healthy ahead of Week 1 is somewhat warranted. The 27-year-old Collins has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of the past three seasons and remains the clear No. 1 option for C.J. Stroud in the passing game.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Restructures contract
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Collins agreed to terms Tuesday on a contract restructure with the Texans, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Collins' restructure guarantees his salary for the next two seasons while providing him cash increases of $9 million in 2026 and $8 million in 2027, per Schefter. Houston general manager Nick Caserio made it clear in an interview during the 2026 NFL Draft that the team is not considering trading Collins despite having received calls about the 27-year-old wideout, as DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN reports, and the Pro Bowler's new contract reinforces his long-term status as the No. 1 target for C.J. Stroud. While suiting up for 15 regular-season games in 2025, Collins secured 71 of 120 targets for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns -- his third consecutive season with over 1,000 receiving yards.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Teams have checked on availability
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NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reports teams around the league have called the Texans to check on the availability of Collins.
Schultz adds that it "seems unlikely" Houston would trade its star wide receiver, but teams are calling with an understanding that Collins likely needs a new contract, as he's set to enter the final guaranteed year of his contract in 2026. Collins' $20 million salary is far behind the current wideout market after Jaxon Smith-Njigba reset the top of the market with an annual average of $42.15 million earlier this offseason. Collins is theoretically still in the prime of his career after he just turned 27 years old last month, and he's coming off a 2025 campaign that saw him catch 71 of 120 targets for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns across 15 regular-season contests.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Not spotted at practice Friday
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Collins (concussion) is not participating in the early portion of Friday's practice open to the media, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Collins has yet to resume practicing in even a limited capacity since having sustained a concussion during Houston's wild-card win at Pittsburgh on Monday, which seemingly puts him on the wrong track for Sunday's divisional-round game at New England. Friday's official injury report will reveal whether the Texans leave the door open for Collins to play this weekend, but in order to retake the field he would need to gain full clearance from the NFL's five-step concussion protocol, including from an independent neurologist.
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Texans' Nico Collins: No practice Wednesday
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Collins (concussion) isn't practicing Wednesday, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
While attempting to corral a C.J. Stroud pass in the third quarter of Monday's wild-card win at Pittsburgh, Collins wasn't able to brace himself as his helmet went directly into the turf. He remained on the field for a spell and then was carted from the sideline to the locker room, after which he was diagnosed with a concussion. With a short week to prepare for Sunday's divisional-round game in New England, Collins may be hard-pressed to gain clearance from the protocol for head injuries to be able to play this weekend, but he at least has chances Thursday and Friday for on-field work before then.
