Jan. 16, 2026, 7:12 p.m. ET
A key player will miss the Houston Texans‘ Divisional round matchup against the New England Patriots this weekend.
Texans wide receiver Nico Collins has been ruled out of the game against the Patriots after suffering a concussion a week ago against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Collins was officially ruled out on Friday after missing the entire week of practice.
A Pro Bowler each of the last two seasons, Collins led Houston in 2025 with 71 receptions, 6 touchdowns, and 1,117 receiving yards. He appeared in 15 games this season. Both rookies out of Iowa State will be expected to step up in his absence. Jaylin Noel, who caught 26 passes on the year with 2 touchdowns, and Jayden Higgins, who caught 41 passes with 6 touchdowns.
After Collins left last week’s contest, fellow wide receiver and veteran Christian Kirk would fill in nicely with 8 receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown. Other weapons for the Texans include Dalton Schultz and Xavier Hutchinson, who will also need to act as security blankets for the great pass rush of the New England Patriots. In the secondary for New England, they will get Christian Gonzalez back after suffering a head injury of his own last weekend.
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