Overview
- Collins was limited in Wednesday practice after injuring his hamstring during the session and met with team doctors who initially did not expect a major issue.
- League reporting on Thursday identified the injury as a Grade 1 hamstring strain and Collins did not practice that day, putting his availability for Sunday’s game against the Bengals in jeopardy.
- If Collins is ruled out, Houston plans to redistribute targets to Kayshon Boutte, Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel and tight ends such as Dalton Schultz while using more two‑tight‑end and run‑heavy groupings.
- The setback feeds a durability narrative: Collins has missed time in multiple seasons, including five weeks in 2024 for a prior hamstring problem, and his absence would deepen a receiver room already short after Jayden Higgins’ ACL and Tank Dell’s placement on IR.
- The Texans will use Friday’s practice and the final inactive report to make a game decision, with hamstring recovery timelines unpredictable even for low-grade strains.