The Houston Texans played it smart by locking down star wide receiver Nico Collins before the market exploded, and franchise legend J.J. Watt gave them credit.
The Texans agreed to a three-year, $72.75 million extension with Collins in May 2024, securing him before wide receiver contracts skyrocketed. With $52 million guaranteed and a max value of $75 million, the deal now looks like a bargain compared to recent blockbuster extensions around the league.
Waiting to Extend Nico Collins Would Have Cost Texans Millions
Collins came off a breakout season in 2023 to earn the contract extension, posting 80 receptions for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games. His production ranked eighth in receiving yards and tied for eighth in touchdowns last year, making him one of the NFL’s top emerging wideouts.
Seeing the Bengals hand out massive deals to Ja’Marr Chase ($161M, $112M guaranteed) and Tee Higgins ($115M), Watt took to X to applaud Houston’s front office for getting ahead of it.
Take care of your own early, reward them and reap the benefits & goodwill for years to come.
Everyone wins. https://t.co/0TiXRkermA
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 17, 2025
“Take care of your own early, reward them and reap the benefits & goodwill for years to come. Everyone wins.”
Watt’s point is clear: teams that wait too long to extend their stars often pay significantly more. The Bengals, for example, could have signed Higgins for around $22-23 million per year had they extended him earlier rather than the $28 million they ultimately agreed to. Similarly, Chase’s deal could have been closer to $33 million per year instead of the record-breaking $40 million annual salary.
Beyond the smart timing of the extension, the Texans also restructured the Pro Bowler’s contract this offseason, freeing up $9.8 million in cap space. The front office converted a portion of his 2025 salary into a signing bonus, creating flexibility to address other roster needs while keeping their offensive weapon happy. The move was part of the team’s strategic salary cap management after last year’s spending spree, which included adding linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and defensive ends Denico Autry and Danielle Hunter.
In 2024, Collins was sidelined for five games with a hamstring injury but still managed to put up elite numbers: 1,209 yards and eight scores on 80 catches.
Franchise quarterback C.J. Stroud will lead the Texans in 2025, with Collins set to be a centerpiece of the offense for years. They avoided a costly contract standoff and secured one of the league’s rising stars at a team-friendly price. As Watt pointed out, these smart moves build a winning culture and keep a team competitive in the long run.