During the Houston Texans' offseason workouts last month, including mandatory minicamp, star receiver Nico Collins was held out for a few days. The news, for a player who has yet to play a full slate in his five seasons, brought questions about whether there was a nagging injury to worry about heading into the 2026 season.
It turns out the rest was just part of the plan. Collins recently told that the staff made the decision to ensure he was rested for training camp.
"Not at all," Collins said of whether he was dealing with an injury in June. "They just did that. I listened to the coaches, listened to the GM, saying 'Yes, sir.' And they told me to be ready for camp. Yes, sir."
Collins has worked his way into a two-time Pro Bowler and generated 1,000-plus yards each of the past three seasons. However, injuries have reared their head in every single one of his campaigns. Last year, he exited Week 7 due to a concussion, missing the following tilt. Collins again suffered a head injury in the wild-card win over Pittsburgh and didn't play in the Divisional Round. In 2024, he missed five games with a hamstring issue.
The 27-year-old Michigan product is a vital cog in the offense, giving C.J. Stroud a big target who can win in tight spaces and create explosives. Last year, Collins put up 71 catches on 120 targets for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games. The Texans' next closest wide receiver was Jayden Higgins with 525 yards.
Collins' health is paramount if the Texans offense is to take a step forward in 2026. The health of Tank Dell and improvement from second-years Higgins and Jaylin Noel will be tracked closely during training camp. But Nico must stay healthy.
