The Houston Texans’ offense hasn’t been nearly as productive with star wideout Nico Collins sidelined, but the alpha WR1 could be trending toward a return.
What’s Collins’ status for Monday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys? Here’s the latest on Collins as he makes his way back from injury.
What Is Nico Collins’ Injury?
Collins was the NFL’s leading receiver when he injured his hamstring in Week 5. Although the Texans initially believed Collins wouldn’t miss much time, they eventually placed him on injured reserve, requiring a minimum four-game absence.
Houston designated Collins to return from IR on Nov. 8 (leading into Week 10). He practiced for the first time since Week 5 on that Friday and was listed as questionable for Week 10.
Still, Collins did not suit up for the Texans’ Monday night loss to the Detroit Lions, even though Houston activated him from IR before that game. Head coach DeMeco Ryans said Collins did not suffer a setback, suggesting that the Texans were simply giving one of their best players another week of recovery.
Will Collins Play in Week 11?
Collins will return on Monday night to face the Cowboys in Week 11.
He put in a limited practice on Thursday but was a full participant on Friday and Saturday. The Texans removed Collins from their injury report before Monday night’s game. He will not carry a designation into Week 11.
Moreover, Collins is “considered a full go” for tonight’s contest, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who says Collins will not have any playing time restrictions on MNF.
#Texans star wide receiver Nico Collins shedding the rust as he gets ready for #Cowboys Monday night game @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/CoQTMUQDSm
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 14, 2024
Collins is chomping at the bit to get back on the field. On Friday, he told reporters he was “100% ready to go” for Week 11.
“Just going out there, being with my brothers,” Collins said, per ESPN. “There’s no better feeling than that. Just happy to be feeling good and happy to be able to have the opportunity to play this week and just continue to pick back up where I left off.”
Fantasy Implications of Collins’ Week 11 Status
It’s hard to overstate how devastating Collins’ loss has been for the Texans’ offense.
We noted Collins was leading the league in receiving yards when he went down after playing nine snaps in Week 5. In actuality, he was lapping the rest of the NFL. Collins posted 489 yards over the first four games of the season; no other receiver had even touched 400.
Among receivers with at least 100 routes over the first quarter of the year, Collins ranked third in yards per route run and 11th in yards after the catch per reception.
With Collins available in Weeks 1-4, the Texans ranked No. 1 in explosive pass rate and No. 10 in EPA per dropback (0.07). C.J. Stroud posted two top-10 fantasy quarterback finishes (Weeks 1 and 4).
Without Collins, Houston’s offense has tanked. Since Week 5, the Texans are 24th in EPA per dropback (-0.06). They’ve fallen from 16th to 25th in passing success rate. And those chunk yardage plays have gotten increasingly more challenging, as Houston ranked 14th in explosive pass rate without Collins.
Collins’ return probably won’t magically rectify all the Texans’ offensive woes. Stroud will still be without WR Stefon Diggs — who tore his ACL in Week 8 — and playing behind a bottom-10 offensive line that’s allowed him to be pressured at the NFL’s third-highest rate.
However, Collins’ presence will open up Houston’s passing attack, especially against a Dallas defense that ranks 27th in pass-defense efficiency.
Collins put up WR14, WR4, WR37, and WR1 performances over the first four weeks of the season. If you’ve been stashing Collins in your IR slot for weeks, congratulations on finally re-inserting him into your lineup for Week 11.