Houston Texans Star Named Among Unluckiest Players in NFL

One Houston Texans star faced their fair share of misfortune last season.

Jun 10, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) participates in a drill during an NFL football minicamp at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

When it comes to stacking up some of the most unlucky players in the NFL last season, the stats show that Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins was seemingly among the top of the list in that category of misfortune.

Recently, NFL.com's Kevin Patra put together a few of the league's most intriguing "unlucky" players across last season based on a few eye-catching stats, where Collins placed among the top two unluckiest receivers through 2024 based on one simple metric: penalties.

"Collins had 142 receiving yards negated by penalties in 2024, the most in the NFL," Patra wrote. "The Texans wideout was one of four players with 100-plus receiving yards negated by penalties (Pittsburgh's , 122; New Orleans' , 117; Seattle's , 114)."

Jun 10, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) participates in a drill during an NFL football minicamp at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Along with Collins, another receiver that saw odds not quite playing in his favor was Washington Commanders wideout Olamide Zaccheaus, who had three touchdowns stripped away due to penalty.

The Texans' penalty woes haunted Collins across last season, but especially so for the entire offensive unit. Houston's ranked top five in the NFL for yards lost on penalties, were 7th in the league for pre-snap penalities, and even ranked second in the NFL for yards lost from flags in all three phases.

Simply put, this Texans roster from last year was not quite as buttoned as you'd like, and for a team heading into this season with near-championship expectations, limiting those flags on the field will have to be a key focus for this team in order to reach higher heights from what was seen last through 2024–– especially for the sake of their star receiver in Nico Collins.

Jan 11, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) reacts to a first down against the Los Angeles Chargers in the second quarter in an AFC wild card game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Perhaps a re-worked offensive line and a few new weapons in C.J. Stroud's arsenal could help downplay those worries for the season ahead, but if those penalty lapses continue into 2025, it could be tough sledding for the Texans offense.

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