Texans QB C.J. Stroud Reacts to Getting Nico Collins Back

The Houston Texans will be getting some quality reinforcements into their offense for Week 9's matchup against the Denver Broncos.

After a week of missing both Nico Collins and Christian Kirk in the lineup, the two veteran wideouts will now be set to return from injury this weekend, and in turn, give this scoring unit a bit of a boost following an already solid outing vs. the San Francisco 49ers.

And when asking quarterback C.J. Stroud, he's certainly amped up for his pass-catching talents healthy and back in the mix.

"Great. It was great. I'm so happy they're back," Stroud said of Collins and Kirk's return. "I know they're motivated to go out there and ball, and do all of the things that we need them to do to win more games, and help our team, and take us to another level."

"So, I'm super happy they came back at the same time, too. But I think it's going to be great for us."

Stroud Thinks Collins, Kirk Can Help Take Texans to Next Level

Jun 10, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud speaks at a press conference after an NFL football minicamp at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Both names, but certainly Collins, will be big factors for the Texans to have back in their wide receiver room.

Collins leads the Texans in all major pass-catching stats, and has been a favorite target of Stroud's this season, as he has been since his breakout campaign two seasons ago. It hasn't come with a totally perfect Houston offense in terms of production, but as for Collins, he's done his part.

During the Texans' Week 7 matchup vs. the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football, Collins would go down with a concussion that would inevitably rule him out for one game vs. the 49ers. However, he's now cleared from protocol, back at practice, and ready to get back into the action against Denver.

"Blessed to be off the protocol," Collins said after Texans' practice. "Feeling good, feeling excited about this week's great matchup."

As for Kirk, he's back from a two-week absence after a hamstring injury, and now gives Stroud and the Texans another reliable target in the offense, especially in the slot, where Kirk does the most of his damage.

During the four games he's been active, Kirk has had 10 receptions for 109 yards on 16 total targets, averaging just under 11 yards per catch.

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It'll be interesting to see how the distribution of targets unravels between the veteran returners, Collins and Kirk, along with the standouts of last week vs. San Francisco, including rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, as the Texans had nine total pass-catchers involved with Stroud's 300-plus receiving yards.

But no matter how the target share shakes out, Stroud is happy to see his guys back in the fold, and should be a helpful aid to getting the Texans to a .500 record this weekend for the first time this season.

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