Dec 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) walks on the field before the game against the Miami Dolphins at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Nico Collins Lands Bold NFL Comparison From Texans Teammate

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 1:30 PM ET

The Houston Texans did make a few shakeups to their wide receiver room across recent months with a flurry of additions with both veteran and young contributors to help rework this offense for the season ahead, but of course, the one constant to remain atop the totem pole amid the shuffle was star wideout Nico Collins.

Collins, who now enters his fifth season with the Texans, has now virtually cemented himself among some of the best receivers in the game across his past couple of years of production, and at just 26 years old, seems to be on the verge of having another dominant campaign ahead of him.

And while it's only been a few months being in the same building as Collins, his new partner in the wide receiver room, Christian Kirk, had an interesting comparison for the Texans star when breaking down his first thoughts of Collins during Houston's OTA: former Cincinnati Bengals Pro Bowler, AJ Green.

"Somebody who's that big, that strong, has great hands– it makes sense why he's been a top-five receiver the past couple of years. I was telling somebody, he kind of reminds me of a former teammate I played with, AJ Green, just how big, strong, and explosive they are. A lot of the same intangibles and whatnot... Just really excited to work with him moving forward."

Green and Kirk were stationed on the same receiving core during their time with the Arizona Cardinals from 2021 to 2022, and while the seven-time Pro Bowl selection with over 10,000 career yards wasn't quite at the peak of his powers during those final two years of his career, he had some immense success as one of the best wideouts in the NFL during his time with Cincinnati.

And perhaps for Collins, he exhibits a few shades of the former Bengals receiver.

In his last campaign with Houston in 2024, Collins was even sidelined for five games, but still managed to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving alongside 68 catches and seven touchdowns as C.J. Stroud's primary and favorite target. That status shouldn't be expected to change, which means if both sides stay healthy (fingers crossed on Stroud's status), expect even bigger fireworks between the two next season.

The Texans will have a bit of a different offense surrounding their Pro Bowl talent, both in the wideout room and in the offensive trenches, but regardless, Collins should still be primed to prove yet again why he should be considered among the best receiving talents in the game.

This article first appeared on Houston Texans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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