Through the first five games of the 2024 NFL season, Nico Collins averaged 113.4 receiving yards per game. He was looking like arguably the most productive receiver in the league until he suffered an injury in Week 5, and he has been sidelined ever since. When can we expect the Houston Texans wide receiver to return to the lineup?
What Is Nico Collins’ Injury?
Collins left the Texans’ Week 5 win over the Buffalo Bills after suffering a hamstring injury on a 67-yard touchdown reception.
At the :07 mark, you can see where Nico Collins tweaked his hamstring.
He didn’t speak to media because of his injury, but he was in good spirits postgame in the locker room.
Stefon Diggs came over to him, dapped him up and said “Take care of your body, we got you!” pic.twitter.com/0B0gq4fyxG
— Chancellor Johnson (@ChancellorTV) October 6, 2024
Collins had been listed on the injury report with a hamstring issue before the team’s Week 4 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
However, it’s worth noting he fully practiced that week and was not listed on the injury report ahead of Week 5 when he got injured.
When Will Collins Return From Injury?
Houston originally considered Collins “day-to-day,” but head coach DeMeco Ryans later changed that label to “week-to-week,” and then Collins was put on injured reserve.
That means he must miss at least the next four games, so the earliest that Collins can return is in Week 10 when the Texans face the Detroit Lions.
Fortunately, Collins’ hamstring injury is not considered a long-term issue, and he’s on track to return in Week 10, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.
Wilson reports that Collins is making excellent progress, reaching 20 miles per hour in recent training sessions and regaining his flexibility quickly.
How Has Collins’ Absence Impacted the Texans?
The Texans are 2-1 in the games without Collins. Their passing attack has been significantly worse without Collins in the lineup.
Through the first five weeks of the season, C.J. Stroud was averaging 277 passing yards per game. Over the last three games without Collins, Stroud is averaging 187.6 passing yards per game.
Houston can’t wait to get Collins back — not only because he was playing the best football of his career before this injury but also given the current state of their wide receiver room. In Week 8, Stefon Diggs suffered a non-contact knee injury, so the Texans could use Collins’ contributions more than ever.
MORE: How Long Will Texans WR Stefon Diggs Be Out? Latest Injury Update
Without Collins and Diggs, the Texans’ remaining receivers are Tank Dell, Xavier Hutchinson, Robert Woods, John Metchie III, and Steven Sims.
From a fantasy standpoint, Collins will be back in your lineup as soon as he’s active. He has clearly solidified himself as a must-start option across all fantasy formats.
In the meantime, next week could be Dell’s coming-out party. He has struggled this season, averaging just 32.7 receiving yards per game and scoring only two touchdowns thus far. In 10 games as a rookie, Dell averaged 70.9 yards and scored seven TDs. Now, we’ll see how he responds as Stroud’s temporary WR1.