The Houston Texans offense got some great injury news on Friday when the team officially designated wide receiver Nico Collins to return from injured reserve, opening up a 21-day practice window for him to get back on the field.
That does not mean he will be back as early as this week’s game against the Detroit Lions, but he is definitely back on track to return to the lineup in the coming weeks.
If he is not activated back to the active roster within that 21-day window, he will have to miss the remainder of the season.
Collins has been sidelined since Oct. 6 with a hamstring injury.
In his absence, the Texans passing game, as well as quarterback C.J. Stroud, have both struggled to find consistency and have taken a big step backward from what we saw a year ago. The season-ending injury to No. 2 wide receiver Stefon Diggs has only multiplied those problems.
Officially, Collins was listed as a “limited” participant in Friday’s practice and is questionable for Sunday’s game.
Collins has rapidly become one of the NFL’s best wide receivers and was off to a fantastic start this season, catching 32 passes for 567 yards (17.7 yards per catch) and three touchdowns in his five games. He had at least 78 yards receiving in each game and went over the 100-yard mark three times.
Nico Collins has been Designated for Return/Returned to practice and we have made another roster move. pic.twitter.com/a0llsqDsze
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 8, 2024
The Texans are 6-3 overall and still hold the top spot in the AFC South, but they are just 2-2 since Collins went out of the lineup while the offense has not scored more than 23 points in three of those four games. The offense was especially bad in a 23-13 loss to the New York Jets in their most recent game.
Offensive line problems have also held back the passing game, but taking away some of Stroud’s best receivers due to injury has really cut into their big-play potential. Collins’ return, whenever it might be, will help turn that around.
