Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins suffered a hamstring injury in practice on Sept. 16 that kept him out of the team’s matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Unfortunately for Houston, its top offensive weapon could now be out even longer.
Reporting from practice on Thursday, Aaron C. Wilson of KPRC 2 said that Collins and guard Ed Ingram are not expected to play in Week 3 against the Indianapolis Colts. Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle later reported that edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, like Ingram and Collins, is not expected to play for the second consecutive week.
The Texans injury report as of Friday morning highlights the reason to have some long-term concern. Collins (hamstring), Ingram (groin) and Clowney (groin) all did not participate in practice in any form on Wednesday or Thursday. With walk-throughs on Friday, all three starters will likely be sidelined and then ruled inactive on the final injury report entering the weekend.
Being unable to log even a limited participation in practice might also suggest these absences will extend beyond Week 3. Facing the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4, the Texans’ medical staff would almost certainly want to see Collins, Clowney and Ingram log multiple limited participation sessions on the practice field next week before clearing them to play.
Impact of Nico Collins Injury on Texans Offense
Houston Texans, NFL News, Nico Collins
Aug 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) catches a pass before playing against the Las Vegas Raiders at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
Collins’ continued absence is particularly harmful to a Texans’ receiving corps that saw Jayden Higgins go down in training camp with an ACL tear. Houston had been banking on a breakout season from him, anticipating that he would emerge as a complementary 1B receiving threat with Collins as the 1A.
After Higgins’ season-ending injury, there was hope that the Kayshon Boutte trade before Week 1 would fill a void in the passing game. However, even with Collins on the field and drawing the defense’s attention, Boutte only pulled in a single 21-yard reception on two targets in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills.
Without Collins, Boutte tied for fifth in targets (five) in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals and placed second (37) in receiving yards. While tight end Dalton Schultz stepped up with 12 receptions for 140 receiving yards on 14 targets, C.. Stroud averaged just 6.3 yards per attempt with 314 net passing yards on 60 dropbacks and a 74.3 passer rating in the 20-6 loss.
The Texans’ passing game simply looks too limited with Collins out on the field, and it’s made worse by the fact that the run game, totaling 18 yards on 14 carries from David Montgomery and Woody Marks in Week 2, is unreliable. In a matchup of 0-2 teams on Sunday, the Texans defense will presumably need to carry the team to a win.