One Contract Extension Could Save Texans $14 Million

The Houston Texans have done their fair share of cap maneuvers throughout the course of this offseason in order to save a decent amount of money, and thus make a few key additions around the roster in free agency because of it.

But if Houston wanted to make one final move to shake up their cap space, and thus free up a bit more money on the books, there's one more move that Texans general manager Nick Caserio could have up his sleeve to create that flexibility.

That move centers around giving Nico Collins a new extension, which, if executed by the Texans' front office, could provide over $14 million in cap relief ($14.72M) for this offseason.

And based on the way that he played last season, there's a strong case for the Texans wideout being more than worthy of a new deal as soon as this offseason.

Texans Can Save Over $14 Million With Nico Collins Extension

The Texans have already extended a handful of key cornerstones on their roster this offseason that have helped do exactly what a new Collins deal would do.

Both of Danielle Hunter and Dalton Schultz were signed to one-year deals to cement them in Houston through 2027, and help provide a bit more wiggle room for Houston to make additional tweaks on the offensive line and a splash in the secondary like Reed Blankenship.

Collins' situation is a bit different. His contract was not only restructured last offseason, but he's also signed on until 2027 with his existing deal that doesn't make hashing out a new agreement extremely urgent.

The main motivation in doing so could be to free up an extra dose of cap space, as an extension on his contract could spread out his current money over the life of his next deal, and thus create additional financial flexibility.

For a talent as good as Collins is at his position, and the Texans showing no signs of wanting to move off of him, that plugs him in as the next most likely member on Houston’s roster to see that extension coming his way, which could provide immediate cap relief, and lock in a cornerstone wideout for another year or multiple.

Dec 21, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) participates in early pregame warmups against the Las Vegas Raiders at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Maybe it's his up-and-down availability that's haunted him, or perhaps the Texans don't feel the need to free up that extra cap space that an extension would just yet in the offseason to hold up the process.

But if and when that new contract comes across the desk of Caserio as a bigger priority, Houston should certainly do what it takes to re-sign him for what projects to be his peak years in the NFL.

The same can be said for Will Anderson, who's another perfect case of the Texans needing to hash out an extension in the coming weeks, potentially becoming the highest-paid edge rusher in NFL history, yet has yet to put pen to paper.

That conversation's for another time. As it relates to Collins, though, don't be shocked if he's the next entry on the Texans' long list of contract shifts and maneuvers to best position this roster to be ultra-competitive in 2026.

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