So, where do the Houston Texans turn now at wide receiver?
When the Texans drafted Jayden Higgins two years ago, the plan was to turn him into a stable secondary option wth No. 1 upside, just in case Pro Bowler Nico Collins was sidelined with an injury. Instead, Higgins was ruled out before the season after suffering a torn ACL in practice last month.
And that's the first of two injuries to perhaps Houston's biggest offensive question marks. Collins, who finished with a team-leading seven catches in Week 1's loss to the Buffalo Bills, has been dealing with a hamstring injury and missed practice entirely on Thursday.
More often than not, if a player misses practice Thursday, their chances of playing Sunday afternoon are slim. So, it's fair to say
the Texans have their doubts about Collins' status for Week 2's matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
It's always been a next-man up mentality in Houston, but in all honesty, who is the "right" next man up?
Xavier Hutchinson, Kayshon Boutte, Jaylin Noel and Jared Wayne are all on the active roster. Should Collins be ruled out, expect either rookie Lewis Bond or veteran Mitchell Tinsley to get the call-up to join the active 46 for Sunday's showcase at Reliant Stadium.
Nick Caley when asked about WR approach if Nico Collins can’t go: “We go through our reads and the ball finds the open guy. CJ does a good job of distributing the football. I think you saw that last week.”
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) September 18, 2026
While Nico being out wouldn’t be ideal, I have observed the same about CJ… pic.twitter.com/XPlsIxah4i
But nobody is talking about which player could see more reps on Sunday. The queston is, which player can take over against Cincinnati's secondary.
“The good thing about the offense is we have a lot of guys we have trust in,” offensive coordinator Nick Caley said Thursday. “We go through our reads, and the ball finds the open guy.”
Let's say Houston wants to see more from Boutte and has him take over the role of Collins. In theory this makes the most sense since the Texans traded for him to be an impactful option in the passing game as Higgins' recplacement.
Last week, he only had 1 catch for 21 yards and played in only 30 percent of snaps, but one could chalk that up to still being a part of the learning curve.
“He knows how to get open,” Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said of Boutte. “I know we didn’t connect on a couple of them, but we’re still building that chemistry. He knows how to get open and play fast.”
Hutchinson, who's in his fourth season, is another name looking to play a bigger role. Last week, he finished third in targets (6) and third in receptions (3), while finishing with 32 yards. Several times throughout their careers, Hutchinson has been a security blanket for Stroud in times of duress.
"They love football and they bring energy to the table," Caley said. "I love what they bring to our receiver room and our offense. I have a lot of confidence in them."
Nick Caley on Marlin Klein & his blocking:
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) September 18, 2026
“I feel good where it’s going. My experience with tight ends is there’s a lot of development in terms of hand speed & physicality on the edges. He’s gunna be a damn good blocker at the point of attack, I believe that, with everything in… pic.twitter.com/CQHPJg4KuP
Perhaps the biggest sleeper is Noel, a third-round pick mostly found on special teams. Still, when the Texans have called his number in the past, he's delivered. Last week, in only 15 routes, Noel finished second behind Collins in receiving yards with 53 and led the team with explosive plays.
"He's growing, he's learning how to run routes and to be friendly to the quarterback," Stroud said. "I think his speed, of course, but he's learning how to use his speed and when not to and his pace. I think he's doing a great job.”
Houston could also run more two-tight end sets, especially with the emergence of rookie Marlin Klein. Last week, Klein and fellow veteran Foster Moreau were the top two names in 12-personnel looks on over 12 percent of snaps.
CJ Stroud on Jaylin Noel:
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) September 17, 2026
“He’s growing, he’s learning how to run routes, to be friendly to the quarterback, learn how to used his speed, when not to & to use pace, I think he’s doing a great job.” pic.twitter.com/lY360yM1J7
"I think they set the tone in the run game," Stroud said of the tight end room. "I thought they were a lead in the pass game, made a lot of good decisions. If we can get those guys going, I think it'd be great for us."
Regardless of how it gets done, the Texans need to accomplish the feat to avoid a 0-2 start for the second straight tenure.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: If Nico Collins is out, where do the Texans turn to at WR for Week 2?
