After a breakout season in 2023, Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins signed a lucrative extension with the team that drafted him in the third round (No. 89 overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft. Let’s examine Collins’ contract, how it stacks up to other elite receivers, and how he has fared since inking his new deal.
Breaking Down Nico Collins’ Extension
On May 28, 2024, Collins and the Texans agreed to a three-year extension worth $72.75 million that will keep him in Houston through the 2027 season. The deal included a guaranteed amount of $52.1 million, with a maximum value of $75 million.
This is Collins’ second contract after his rookie deal, and he earned the payday by catching 80 passes for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023.
Last season, Collins was still in the final year of his rookie contract, so his base salary was $1.6 million, and his cap hit was $6.6 million. This season, his base salary is $13.5 million, with a cap hit of $18.3 million. Including this season, Collins has earned $36,947,390 from his NFL contracts.
The average annual value of Collins’ new deal is $24,250,000. While that sounds like a lot, at the time of his extension, he was just the 12th-highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL. In 2026, he is the 16th-highest paid receiver in the league.
For comparison, Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase earns $40.25 million per season, Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson earns $35 million per season, and Dallas Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb makes $34 million annually.
The Texans must feel good about Collins’ contract, especially considering how dominant he has been for them since C.J. Stroud joined the team.
MORE: Top 2026 NFL Free Agents: An Early Look At Some of the Best Available Players As Regular Season Ends
In 2024, Collins played 12 games and recorded 68 receptions for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 14.8 yards per reception. In 2025, he played 15 games during the regular season, recording 71 receptions for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 15.7 yards per reception.
The Texans’ offense has struggled in the last two seasons, yet Collins has surpassed 1,000 yards while missing games. According to PFSN’s WR Impact Metric, he is currently ranked as the 12th-best receiver in the league.
Houston Texans’ Stats and Insights for Wild Card Round
Team: The Texans started the season with three straight one-score losses by a combined 13 points. Houston went 7-2 the rest of the season in one-score games. All the Texans’ losses were by eight points or fewer.
Playoffs: Houston is 6-8 all-time in the postseason and has won at least one game in six of eight appearances. Six of the eight losses were by at least 13 points.
QB: C.J. Stroud posted a QBi grade of C in both postseason games last season. He posted an 86.2 (B) against the Browns in the 2023 Wild Card game.
OFF: Houston finished the regular season 23rd in the OFFi rankings. They were ranked in the top eight for three weeks; however, there were six weeks when they finished 25th or lower.
DEF: Will Anderson Jr. finished third behind Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett in PFSN’s EDGE Impact (EDGEi) ranking this season. The three were the only players to reach a grade of A- or better. Anderson was ranked in the top 15 in his first two seasons.
