Texans make Week 2 decision with Nico Collins that confirms injury fears

The Houston Texans are 0-1 to start the 2026 season after losing in Week 1 to the Buffalo Bills. It was a tough loss that they could've won, but now, heading into Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals, they'll have a chance to bounce back.

However, there is a massive issue that's hit the Texans' roster this week, and it happened during Wednesday's practice. Nico Collins was added to the injury report with a hamstring issue, which he sustained during practice.

After a few days, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network shared the report that confirmed all of those injury fears. Collins, the Texans' No. 1 WR, has been ruled out for Week 2 against the Bengals.

Texans rule out Nico Collins for Week 2 vs. Bengals

Rapoport on Friday afternoon shared a very simple report on Collins that puts the team in a major bind for Week 2: "Nico Collins ruled out."

C.J. Stroud is going to be without his No. 1 receiver in Week 2 following Collins' seven-catch, 75-yard, and one-touchdown performance against the Bills in Week 1.

Considering that Jayden Higgins is already out for the entire season, and Tank Dell won't be back for a while either, that means the Texans are missing the bulk of their normal WR room.

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Xavier Hutchinson is likely to be the No. 1 receiver in Houston for this Week 2 matchup, with recent trade pickup Kayshon Boutte likely to be much more involved than last week due to necessity.

Jaylin Noel and Jared Wayne are also sure to get plenty of work, as is tight end Dalton Schultz, who could see a large share of targets against a weaker Bengals linebacker room.

Losing Collins for their Week 2 matchup is a huge blow, especially since they are trying to avoid dropping to 0-2 on the season. They've come back from it before, but it's not an ideal place to be, especially with how great the Jacksonville Jaguars looked in Week 1.

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