The Houston Texans have ruled out star wide receiver Nico Collins for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals with a hamstring injury.
The 27-year-old back-to-back Pro Bowler was listed as a limited participant in Wednesday's practice before not participating Thursday or Friday.
In Houston's Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Collins led the Texans with seven catches on 10 targets for 75 yards and a touchdown.
The Texans entered the season limited at wide receiver after losing 2025 second-round pick [Jayden Higgins to a torn ACL](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7524126/2026/08/19/texans-jayden-higgins-out-for-season/) in training camp. Tank Dell, the team's 2023 third-round pick, also began the season on injured reserve. Without Collins, the Texans will look to Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson and Kayshon Boutte to step up. Noel and Hutchinson were both Texans draft picks, with Noel selected in the third round in 2025 and Hutchinson selected in the sixth round in 2023. Boutte, a fourth-year player out of LSU, was acquired in a trade with the New England Patriots less than a month ago.
Tight end Dalton Schultz, whose four catches in the season opener were second on the team behind Collins, will also be expected to have an increased presence in the passing game.
This isn't the first time Collins has dealt with a hamstring injury. In 2024, Collins was placed on injured reserve and missed five games with a hamstring injury in the middle of the season. Collins returned to the lineup for the final seven games of the regular season that year and averaged five catches and 62 yards per game.
This article originally appeared in [The Athletic](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7608445/2026/09/18/texans-nico-collins-hamstring-bengals-week-2/).