The Houston Texans can’t seem to avoid wide receiver injuries. Last year, they lost Tank Dell to a late-season broken leg, and he hasn’t been the same player this season. Last week, Stefon Diggs went down with a non-contact injury and is now out for the season with a torn ACL. That came just three weeks after Nico Collins strained his hamstring.
What is the latest on Collins’ status? Is he nearing a return?
What Is Nico Collins’ Injury?
It was simultaneously a moment of jubilation and despair for the Texans, their fans, and fantasy football managers across the world. Collins broke loose for a 67-yard bomb, perfectly delivered by C.J. Stroud.
CJ TO NICO 67 YARDS!
📺: #BUFvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/0wfq5acJXl— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024
Unfortunately, Collins pulled up lame toward the end of his sprint. He immediately went to the blue tent and was quickly ruled out with a hamstring strain.
Collins had injured his hamstring earlier in the season at practice. He said he was fine, but clearly was not 100%. This appeared to be an aggravation of that prior injury.
After the game, initial reports were that Collins avoided serious injury. However, an MRI revealed significant enough damage that the Texans placed the star WR on injured reserve.
Collins currently leads all wide receivers with 113.4 receiving yards per game. His absence has left a black hole in the Texans’ passing attack, so it will be a great day for when Houston can get him back on the field.
When Will Collins Return From Injury?
Collins went on IR ahead of Week 6, which guarantees his absence through Week 9. Therefore, he will be unable to play against the New York Jets this week.
There is good news, though. Shortly after Collins was placed on IR, it was reported that he was expected to only miss the mandatory four weeks. While predicting how a player will recover is impossible, all reports suggest Collins has been progressing well and is on track to return in Week 10 when he is first eligible.
#Texans wide receiver Nico Collins, on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and out at least two more games, is doing well in his recovery with no setbacks, per sources, and there is optimism that the original three to four week diagnosis is on track @KPRC2 https://t.co/fzl01k4XRM
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 23, 2024
Barring any news to the contrary, Thursday night’s game against the Jets should be the last game the Texans have to play without their best receiver.
How Has Collins’ Absence Impacted the Texans?
The Texans have been increasingly reliant on running back Joe Mixon since his return from a Week 2 ankle sprain. The passing attack, however, since Collins went down with his hamstring strain, hasn’t looked the same.
Stroud has had the benefit of the Texans’ quality WR depth to keep the offense afloat. Diggs and Dell are about as good as it gets for a team’s WR2 and WR3. But with Diggs now done for the season that means Dell will have to serve as the WR1 for at least one week.
Dell, though, hasn’t played anywhere near the level he did as a rookie. His 1.1 yards per route run is a far cry from the impressive 2.36 he averaged last year.
In Week 13 of the 2023 season, Dell suffered a broken fibula. It’s the same injury that befell Tony Pollard the year prior, and the former Dallas Cowboys and current Tennessee Titans RB really struggled in his first year back. Hopefully, Dell will be able to get back to his rookie-year form soon because Houston needs him.
Aside from Dell, expect Stroud to rely a little more on TE Dalton Schultz, who is the team’s second-most reliable pass catcher at the moment. Robert Woods, Xavier Hutchinson, and John Metchie III round out the WRs behind Dell.