The Houston Texans will need to bounce back without their No. 1 receiver.
Nico Collins has been ruled out for the Texans’ Week 2 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday due to a hamstring injury, the team announced.
Collins was diagnosed with a Grade 1 hamstring strain, according to Houston-based reporter Aaron Wilson, and did not participate in practice on Thursday.
The 27-year-old was one of QB C.J. Stroud’s top targets last Sunday, when the Texans narrowly fell to the Buffalo Bills to open their season. He caught seven passes for 75 yards and a touchdown and also completed one rushing attempt for seven yards.
Collins entered the season eyeing a third straight Pro Bowl nod, especially after his 2025 campaign was cut short after 15 regular-season appearances due to a concussion. Before he was sidelined, Collins had 1,117 receiving yards on 71 catches and six touchdowns. It was the third consecutive season he’d eclipsed the 1,000-yard threshold.
Injuries have been a recurring theme during Collins’ career, however, as he also missed five games in 2024 due to a hamstring strain. He’s played fewer than 15 games in three of his five NFL seasons since the Texans drafted him in the third round (89th overall) in 2021.