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Texans dealt blow with star wideout's chances of playing dwindling

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Texans dealt blow with star wideout's chances of playing divisional round dwindling

By Eric Smithling | Last updated Jan 15, 2026 4:46 PM ET

As the Houston Texans (13-5) prep for a second consecutive playoff road game, they're bracing to be without arguably their best offensive playmaker.

On Thursday, ESPN Texans reporter DJ Bien-Aime shared that wide receiver Nico Collins didn't practice, increasing the likelihood he misses Sunday's game at the New England Patriots (15-3).

"That almost slams the door on him playing this week," Bien-Aime wrote on social media.

Brutal Nico Collins update makes Texans' job more difficult versus Patriots

Collins suffered a concussion early in the fourth quarter of Monday's 30-6 win at the Pittsburgh Steelers. Before suffering the injury, Collins played 38 snaps and had a modest three receptions for 21 yards in a defensive slugfest through three quarters. During the regular season, Collins appeared in 15 games and led the Texans in targets (120) and receiving yards (1,117).

Texans WR Nico Collins is not at practice today.

That almost slams the door on him playing this week against the Patriots.
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) January 15, 2026

Rookie second-rounder Jayden Higgins, third-year pro Xavier Hutchinson and 2018 second-round pick Christian Kirk are the team's top wideouts, with Collins likely out.

Higgins tied Collins for the team-high in touchdown receptions (six) during the regular season, while Hutchinson had his best game of the year in Week 18. Kirk came out of nowhere for an explosive performance against Pittsburgh, finishing the win with eight receptions, 144 yards and a touchdown. It was his first 100-yard game since Nov. 12, 2023.

The receiving corps has a tough matchup against an excellent Patriots secondary. Despite suffering a concussion in last Sunday's win over the Los Angeles Chargers, cornerback Christian Gonzalez is expected to play, according to head coach Mike Vrabel. (h/t NESN)

New England also boasts corner Carlton Davis III and safety Jaylinn Hawkins in a tough defensive backfield. Per Sports Info Solutions, Davis allowed a completion rate of 47.2 percent during the regular season, the 11th-lowest mark among corners targeted at least 50 times. Hawkins ranked third among safeties in the regular season in SIS's total points saved metric, defined as "The total of a player's EPA responsibility while in coverage using the Total Points system that distributes credit among all players on the field for a given play."

Collins' likely absence will put more pressure on Houston's defense, which held the Steelers to their fewest yards in a playoff game in the Super Bowl era and ranked No. 2 in points allowed (17.4 per game) during the regular season. The unit will once again need to lead the way in the divisional round, or instead of missing one game, Collins' season will already be over.

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

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