The Houston Texans have had some really bad injury luck when it comes to the wide receiver position. Last year, they lost Tank Dell to a late-season broken leg, and he first started to look like himself last Thursday night against the New York Jets. Two weeks ago, 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?
This was the play in which Collins was injured. He surged past the secondary for a 67-yard touchdown, but he pulled up lame toward the end of it.
CJ TO NICO 67 YARDS!
📺: #BUFvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/0wfq5acJXl— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024
Initially, reports were that Collins might only miss a week or two. However, further testing revealed a more significant strain, prompting the Texans to place the star receiver on IR.
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. Without Collins, Stroud has not looked anything like the MVP candidate we saw in 2023.
When Will Collins Return From Injury?
Following the conclusion of last week’s Thursday night loss to the New York Jets, Collins had officially missed the mandatory four games for an IR stint. He is now eligible to be activated at any time.
Last week, the reports were Collins was on track to return in Week 10 (when first eligible). While it is a certainty that Collins will be designated to return from IR, likely this week, the Texans appear to be considering extreme caution with their most important offensive player.
#Texans WR1 Nico Collins has passed all tests for hamstring, no setbacks, per league sources, regained speed, mobility, ready to go. Matter of when, not if he'll be designated for return. Team still determining if activating him for #Lions game. Might not practice today. @KPRC2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 6, 2024
This report is a bit strange. If Collins has passed all tests with no setbacks and fully recovered, why would he not play this week against the Detroit Lions?
Focusing on the positives, Collins’ recovery is clearly going as well as possible. Even if he doesn’t play this week, he is almost certainly going to return in Week 11.
How Has Collins’ Absence Impacted the Texans?
It’s been a challenge for Stroud and the Texans without Collins. They were able to decisively defeat the New England Patriots in their first game without Collins but then lost two of their next three. Even their win was fortunate, needing a last-second field goal to overtake the Indianapolis Colts.
In Collins’ absence, the Texans have been increasingly reliant on running back Joe Mixon since his return from a Week 2 ankle sprain. He’s carried the ball 24-25 times in three straight games.
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, Dell could really use his running mate back on the field.
Robert Woods, Xavier Hutchinson, and John Metchie III will continue to serve as the depth behind Collins and Dell. Once Collins gets back on the field, expect he and Dell to dominate two-receiver sets, with Hutchinson getting the most playing time behind them in a rotation with Woods.