Texans Wr Nico Collins Ruled Out With Hamstring Injury For Week 2 Game Vs. Bengals

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins has been ruled out with a hamstring injury for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Collins, a two-time Pro Bowler who snatched seven passes for 75 yards and a touchdown in a season-opening defeat to the Buffalo Bills, suffered the setback during practice on Wednesday.

He's dealing with a Grade 1 hamstring injury, according to KPRC 2's Aaron Wilson, and didn't practice Thursday or Friday.

The Texans find themselves thin at the wideout position going into a matchup with a Bengals team that's loaded at that spot.

Tank Dell is still on injured reserve. His comeback from a severe knee injury that cut his 2024 campaign short and cost him the entire 2025 season is ongoing.

Notably, Houston lost second-year receiver Jayden Higgins to a torn ACL in training camp, and, although the team acquired Kayshon Boutte in a trade with the New England Patriots this summer, Boutte reeled in just one reception in Week 1 and is primarily a deep threat. Last year with the Patriots, Boutte recorded more than three catches in only three of the 14 regular-season games he played.

The Texans will need him and others to step up in terms of catch volume on Sunday at home against the Bengals, particularly if DeMeco Ryans' squad winds up in another high-scoring affair. Houston's vaunted defense struggled to contain Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills — granted, so did the Detroit Lions on "Thursday Night Football" this week — allowing 36 points, and now it's tasked with limiting the production of Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Among the wide receivers at C.J. Stroud's disposal will be Boutte, Xavier Hutchinson, Jared Wayne and Jaylin Noel.

Noel is a second-year wideout from Iowa State whom the Texans selected on Day 2 of last year's draft. They grabbed him in the third round. He caught two passes for 53 yards in the opener versus the Bills and wrapped his rookie season with 26 receptions, 292 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Noel could come in handy against Cincinnati, as could running back David Montgomery, both in the pass and run game.