Should Texans Trade WR Nico Collins? Here's What It Would Cost

Here's what it might take for the Houston Texans to truly consider a trade surrounding their star wide receiver.

Oct 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) warms up prior to a game against the Dallas Cowboys at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Houston Texans have seen a few big trades circle around them in the AFC South in recent days.

The Indianapolis Colts traded away Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner–– and there could be more pieces on the move sooner rather than later. The Tennessee Titans just moved off of their franchise cornerstone Jeffery Simmons to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a haul of draft picks.

TRADE: Titans trading DT Jeffery Simmons to Bears. (via @AdamSchefter, @RapSheet) pic.twitter.com/ZJnwnUtA9w

— NFL (@NFL) October 29, 2026

So naturally, as the trade deadline looms closer, the Texans could be another AFC South team to consider making a big shake-up to their roster. They already did make a move to add Marvin Harrison Jr. a few weeks ago, but maybe Houston opts to sell a piece or two off in the right circumstances.

And surprisingly, one name on the Texans' roster that's surfaced amongst some fans as a potential trade candidate to watch is star wide receiver Nico Collins, who's coming off his worst game of the season against the New York Giants where he hauled in just two of his five targets for six yards.

Collins is in a deep receiver room, hasn't been as involved in the game plan as he has been throughout the past three seasons with the Texans, and is due for a lucrative extension as soon as this offseason to cement his long-term future as a part of the franchise.

However, if the Texans wanted to be proactive on Collins' future, perhaps the front office could consider getting ahead of his situation by searching around the trade market for an appealing return. Wide receivers are a hot commodity, and Houston could certainly bring in a noteworthy package if they were to truly shop around.

So should the Texans even entertain a move to send out Collins? And if they do, what type of package could they get send their way? Let's break it all down:

Should the Texans Consider a Nico Collins Trade?

There is reason to at least ponder a trade involving Collins from the Texans' perspective–– simply from a contractual perspective.

With the Texans' cost of the roster bound to get pricier over the next two seasons when factoring in the defensive talent and C.J. Stroud's pending extension, the cost to keep Collins around on a new deal might prove to be too much for Houston to pay out once the time comes.

So if the Texans simply wanted to cash in on Collins as an asset, perhaps now is the time to trade him if an extension wasn't in the cards next season.

Oct 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) celebrates his touchdown catch with quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

However, what's also important to factor in is where the Texans stand as a franchise. They shouldn't be looking to recoup or build upon their pile of assets; this roster should be looking to do what they can to win games now.

Trading Nico Collins doesn't help the Texans get better. They're simply planning further for the future. And while there is value in keeping a forward-thinking mindset in any front office, shipping out a top 10 to 15 receiver in a year where Houston has invested a ton in this current core seems to be thinking too many steps ahead.

Over the next two years, this Texans roster might be equipped with the most talent they've had–– and will have–– in a while. Once Stroud gets his massive extension that could eclipse $60 million annually, it'll be much harder to build a roster with this type of talent on both sides of the ball.

If the Texans are truly committed to winning this season, trading Collins signals the opposite approach. And based on Houston's past offseason, and even their recent move to bring in Marvin Harrison Jr. for a second-round pick, this team is more equipped to be buyers on the market. Not sellers.

If Collins Was Traded, What Would It Cost?

Now, to play devil's advocate for a moment, what might be an intriguing enough package to at least make the Texans really consider a move to ship out Collins?

The starting point for such a move feels like it'd have to be a first-round pick, and perhaps even more on top of it.

Just this offseason, we saw another similar star wideout on the move in the form of A.J. Brown being shipped to the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick.

Collins, being two years younger and just as productive as Brown, might be worth even more than that, and especially so given that the Texans don't exactly need to trade their star wideout unless a team offers a package they can't refuse.

So with that in mind, the Texans might need a future first-round pick, and maybe a third-round pick to play with the idea of sending Collins to another team via trade.

That still might not be enough to lead to Houston pulling the trigger, but such value seems pretty reasonable in the event a team had its eyes dead set on acquiring the two-time Pro Bowler.

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