close
close

Houston Texans activate WR Nico Collins from injured reserve in Week 10

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

Nico Collins is back.

The Houston Texans have officially signed the fourth-year injured pass-catching reserve to the active roster, the team announced Saturday. As a result, the Texans have waived former cornerback D'Angelo Ross.

While Collins may be on the active roster, the Texans have listed him as questionable for Sunday's primetime game against the Detroit Lions. Should he pass all tests during pregame drills, Collins is expected to be present when the team unveils its new “Battle Red” jerseys.

Collins, who has missed the last four games, would be a welcome addition to the passing game now that Stefon Diggs is on injured reserve after tearing his ACL in Week 8.

Before suffering a hamstring injury in a Week 5 win over the Buffalo Bills, Collins led the league with 567 receiving yards. He also ranked third with 32 catches and led the Texans with three touchdowns.

During the first quarter of Week 5, Collins came up short on a 67-yard touchdown pass from CJ Stroud. He immediately went to the locker room and did not return. On Wednesday, the Texans placed him on injured reserve and sidelined him until October.

While the Texans are still struggling on offense, adding a second target alongside Tank Dell could increase CJ Stroud's pace when facing a potent Lions pass rush. Last week, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year was sacked eight times against the New York Jets, a career-best.

Dell was the only consistent weapon with a total of six catches for 126 yards. John Metchie III, Cade Stover and Xavier Hutchinson recorded no receptions on 11 targets.

The Texans are approaching Collins' return cautiously. He returned to training on Friday for the first time in almost a month, but the last day of the week is more of a pass.

Even if Collins were active, it would be hard to imagine him becoming the focal point of the passing game in the same way he was before the injury. Dell should continue to be the weapon of choice, but Collins' impact on the field would take the pressure off the sophomore target.

Start Is planned for 7:15 p.m The game will be nationally televised on NBC.

You may also like...