The Houston Texans' already limited depth in their wide receivers room may be getting an early test.
Nico Collins, Houston's leading wideout, injured his hamstring during practice on Wednesday, Sept. 16, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Though Schefter reported that the Texans are optimistic it isn't a long-term injury, Collins' status for Houston's Week 2 game is "in jeopardy."
Houston is already without second-year receiver Jayden Higgins for the season after he tore his ACL in August. Fourth-year wideout Tank Dell is also still on injured reserve working his way back from the knee injury he sustained in 2024.
If Collins is unable to go in Week 2, the Texans will be entering the matchup with just four healthy receivers on their current roster
– though they may have some other in-house options to turn to. Here's what we know:
Nico Collins injury update
The Texans listed Collins as a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, Sept. 16, after he suffered a hamstring injury during the session. Reporting from the morning of Thursday, Sept. 17 indicated that the Texans' top receiver avoided a major injury, though his status for Week 2 is still up in the air.
Collins has dealt with injury troubles throughout his six years in the NFL. A shoulder injury in his 2021 rookie season forced him out of three games, groin and foot injuries caused him to miss seven games in 2022, he missed a game with a calf strain in 2023, five games with a hamstring injury in 2024 and one game with a concussion last year.
As of now, Collins is "in jeopardy" of missing a game with injury for a sixth straight season. Houston's lead receiver's practice participation in the coming days will be telling for whether he'll be able to face the Bengals on Sunday, Sept. 20.
Texans wide receiver depth chart
- Nico Collins (questionable – hamstring)
- Xavier Hutchinson
- Kayshon Boutte
- Jaylin Noel
- Jared Wayne
- Tank Dell (IR – knee)
- Jayden Higgins (IR – knee)
The Texans are down to four fully healthy receivers heading into a Week 2 clash with the Bengals. Higgins is out for the year after tearing his ACL in training camp. Dell is still working his way back from a gruesome knee injury he suffered at the end of 2024. Collins may be out with his hamstring ailment.
If Collins is ruled out, the Texans' saving grace may lie in their practice squad. Houston has four wideouts on its 17-man list of reserves: rookies Lewis Bond and Daniel Sobkowicz, second-year Josh Kelly and fourth-year Mitchell Tinsley.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nico Collins injury update after Texans WR hurt in practice
