Winless Texans get top WR Collins back after 2-game absence

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  DJ Bien-AimeOct 2, 2026, 04:31 PM ET

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  DJ Bien-Aime covers the Houston Texans for ESPN. He joined ESPN in July of 2022 after covering the New York Jets for the New York Daily News. He's a former athlete who finished his college career at Louisville. You can catch DJ on ESPN Radio on his show "Talkin' Texans."

HOUSTON -- After a two-game absence, Houston Texans wideout Nico Collins is set to return against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4.

Collins practiced Wednesday and Thursday this week after hurting his hamstring during a Week 2 practice.

The injury forced Collins to miss Week 2 and 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts as the Texans went 0-2. Without Collins, the offense averaged 11.5 points per game, but with the Pro Bowl wideout in the lineup Houston scored 31 against the Buffalo Bills in the season opener.

Coach DeMeco Ryans knows how vital the Texans star receiver is to their offense and hopes he provides a major boost.

"Everyone understands and knows the type of player Nico is," Ryans said on Wednesday. "He's an explosive playmaker any time he's touching the ball, any time he's on the field, he's a threat. Defenses have to prepare for him and they have to do different things to adjust for him, so we're happy to have Nico back."

Houston sits 0-3 and this week is a borderline must-win game for the Texans to keep any hopes of making the playoffs alive. The only team to ever start 0-4 and make the postseason were the Chargers in 1992.

The winless start is disappointing considering Houston had Super Bowl aspirations. But 0-3 is where the Texans sat after three weeks in 2025 before finishing the regular season winning 12 of their remaining 14 games.

Houston's offense also gets back its starting right guard in Ed Ingram, who missed the last two games.