In the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, the fifth-seed Houston Texans will take on the second-seed New England Patriots on Sunday, January 18, at 3:00 p.m. EST.
In the team’s Wild Card win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Collins suffered a concussion. The team has now provided an update on his health and status for their next game.
Houston Texans Suffer a Tough Blow With Star Receiver Nico Collins
In the Wild Card round, Collins left the game early with a concussion. Despite his absence, they pulled off a 30-6 win. But his status for the Patriots game was up in the air. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero has given an update on Houston’s star wide receiver:
“Texans WRs Nico Collins and Justin Watson have been ruled out for Sunday because of concussions.”
This news comes as a tough blow for Texans fans. This season, Collins ranks as the 12th-best wide receiver in PFSN’s NFL Wide Receiver Impact Metric (WRi) with an impact score of 83.1 and a letter grade of B. This regular season, he had 71 receptions for 1117 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns.
Texans WRs Nico Collins and Justin Watson have been ruled out for Sunday because of concussions.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 16, 2026
Collins has consistently been one of the best wide receivers in the league for the past couple of years. In 2023, he ranked second among wide receivers in PFSN’s WRi, with an impact score of 96.6 and a letter grade of A. That season, he caught 80 receptions for 1297 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
In 2024, he ranked fifth among wide receivers in PFSN’s WRi, with an impact score of 89.5 and a letter grade of B+, catching 68 passes for 1006 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
The absence of Collins is a massive blow to the Texans’ offense, which ranks 23rd in PFSN’s NFL Offensive Impact Metric with an impact score of 70.9 and a letter grade of C-. Even worse, the Patriots’ defense ranks 12th in PFSN’s NFL Defensive Impact Metric, with an impact score of 78.2 and a letter grade of C+. Their defense could prove troublesome for the short-handed Texans offense.
In place of Collins, the team will rely on other receivers to fill his void. Based on their depth chart, the team will heavily depend on Christian Kirk, who had eight receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown in the wild card game against the Steelers. Additionally, they will look to Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson, and Braxton Berrios to make up for the production lost from Collins.
The game will be a challenge, and any hope the Texans have of winning will rest heavily on their ironclad defense. Led by Will Anderson Jr. and Derek Stingley Jr., their defense ranks second in the league, with an impact score of 89.4 and a letter grade of B+.
