Unexpected Texans Player Is Due for Big Week 2 After Nico Collins Injury

The Houston Texans could be without a big piece of their offense in wide receiver Nico Collins for Week 2.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Collins is dealing with a hamstring injury following the Texans' Wednesday practice that the team doesn't believe is serious, though it puts his status for Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals up in the air.

Texans WR Nico Collins injured his hamstring at Wednesday’s practice, met with doctors after and they “don’t believe it’s serious,” per source. Yet Collins’ status for Sunday’s game vs. the Bengals is in jeopardy. pic.twitter.com/Quo1m4C56H
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 17, 2026

Overall, it's good news to be had for Collins. Any serious hamstring injury could take multiple weeks to fully recover and get back to 100% from, and barring any unforeseen changes, should get him back in the mix sooner rather than later.

As for his Week 2 availability, that's a different story.

Knowing Collins' lengthy injury history––especially when factoring in his 2024 Grade 2 hamstring strain that placed him on IR––the Texans might decide to rest their star wideout against the Bengals, and thus leave this pass-catching group looking a little different just two weeks into the season.

If they do sit Collins, that'll certainly leave this passing attack with a pretty interesting set of tools for C.J. Stroud to work with. And while several pass-catchers could get involved throughout the course of Sunday's matchup, there's one underrated name that feels due for a good chunk of work this weekend: tight end Dalton Schultz.

Why TE Dalton Schultz Is the Name to Watch This Week

While Schultz might not capture the same attention in the Texans' offense as some other wide receivers do, without Collins, he enters this week with a real lack of competition when it comes to getting targets.

He's the bona fide TE1 on the Texans' depth chart due for the most targets in that room, and even found himself as the team's receptions leader to end 2025 with 82 catches for 777 yards.

Sep 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz (86) runs with the ball during the game against the Buffalo Bills at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This weekend, there's a good chance the name right behind him for those receptions last season––Nico Collins––won't be there to take the attention away from him. The names that'll fill in for Collins at wideout aren't all that inspiring either, which directs attention towards how their pass-catching tight end can be utilized as a featured component.

And we saw a couple of glimpses last season surrounding how this passing offense operates while Collins is out and Schultz is in: the tight end gets targeted.

When Collins went down with a concussion against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7, it was Schultz who led the offense with 10 targets and cashed in for his biggest day of the year with nine catches for 98 yards. When Collins rested in Week 18 against the Indianapolis Colts, Schultz played in just 38 snaps to haul in four catches on four targets for 73 yards.

Stroud and Schultz have some sneaky chemistry that will almost certainly be on display against the Bengals. And for a passing offense that could be down three of their typical top targets— Collins, Jayden Higgins, and Tank Dell— it's going to rely on Schultz, as well as a couple of supporting cast members in the wide receiver room to pick up the slack in a big way.

Bottom Line

As for Schultz's chances to be the explosive red zone threat that Collins has a chance of being on a weekly basis, he might not be that. Schultz recorded only three touchdowns last season and hasn't logged more than five in a single season since his time with the Dallas Cowboys in 2021.

As a short-term fill-in to move the chains in a regular-season outing, though, Schultz is the perfect candidate on the Texans' roster to step up in place of Collins if he misses.

Facing a softer Bengals defense will also help Schultz's ability to produce big numbers in an expanded opportunity, and could be just enough to help Houston get over the hump and avoid two straight losses to open the new year.

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