Overview
- Collins suffered a hamstring problem during Wednesday’s practice, was listed as limited that day, and met with team doctors who initially said they did not believe the injury was serious.
- Testing later produced a Grade 1 hamstring strain diagnosis and Collins did not participate in Thursday’s practice, a development that substantially raises the chance he misses Sunday’s game.
- The Texans will treat Friday’s practice as the key indicator of availability and the team’s official inactive list on game day will be the final determination of whether he plays.
- Houston’s receiving room is already thin after Jayden Higgins was lost for the season and Tank Dell remains on injured reserve, so the offense would shift targets to Kayshon Boutte, Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel and Dalton Schultz if Collins is ruled out.
- Collins is a two-time Pro Bowler coming off three straight 1,000-yard seasons and has a prior hamstring absence in 2024, which helps explain calls for a cautious approach and the risk that a short-term injury could alter Houston’s game plan and Stroud’s downfield options.