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How long is Nico Collins out? Updated injury timeline for Texans WR

jacob camenker, usa today
·3-min read

The Houston Texans earned a key 23-20 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Week 5 of the 2024 NFL season, but it came at a cost. They lost their top receiver Nico Collins to a hamstring injury that knocked him out of the game after just one quarter.

Collins' injury occurred during his 67-yard touchdown reception at the end of the first quarter. He appeared to pull up slightly as he finished the run and eventually went to the locker room for medical evaluation. He did not return to the game.

Initially, the Texans seemed optimistic that Collins' injury may be a short-term one. However, it appears that the fourth-year wide-out might need to miss at least some time because of the malady.

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Here's what to know about Collins' hamstring and his timeline to return from the soft-tissue injury:

How long is Nico Collins out?

The Texans initially announced that Collins would be day-to-day with his hamstring injury. Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans changed his tune during a media availability on Monday, the day following Collins' injury.

Ryans said that Collins is "in good spirits" but implied it would be difficult for the team's star receiver to play in Week 6 against the New England Patriots.

"It takes a couple of weeks for a hamstring," Ryans said. "We’ll evaluate that on a week-to-week basis and see where we can get him."

That "week-to-week" designation typically means a player will miss at least one week of action before returning. As such, Collins looks like a longshot to play against the Patriots, so Texans fans and fantasy football managers alike will have to cope with his absence.

Beyond that, Collins' status remains murky. Still, Texans fans can take solace in knowing that Ryans gave a rough timeline of "a couple of weeks" for the hamstring to heal. If all goes well and Collins can avoid an IR placement, he should have a chance to come back for either the team's Week 7 game against the Green Bay Packers or its Week 8 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.

Nico Collins stats

Collins is leading the NFL in receiving yards through five weeks with 567 yards. Below is a full look at his stats from the 2024 season:

  • Targets: 45

  • Catches: 32

  • Yards: 567

  • TDs: 3

  • Yards per reception: 17.7

Collins has three games with at least 100 receiving yards and has recorded at least 78 yards in each of his five games to date.

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Texans WR depth chart

Houston figures to rely on Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell as its primary receivers as long as Collins is out of action.

Robert Woods and Xavier Hutchinson have alternated as the team's No. 4 receiver this season, but Hutchinson had a larger role than Woods after Collins' injury in Week 5. As such, he may be next in line to take on the snaps vacated by Collins.

Below is a full look at the Texans wide receiver depth chart behind Collins:

The team also has Johnny Johnson III available on the practice squad if it needs additional reinforcements.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nico Collins injury update: How long is Texans WR out?