Texans immediately regret rushing Nico Collins back into action

Nico Collins and C.J. Stroud are as dialed in as a wide receiver-quarterback duo in the NFL. Yet, somehow, they continue to grow stronger with every rep. At this point, injury is the only thing that can disrupt their mind-melding connection/timing. Unfortunately, that tragedy may have struck the Houston Texans -- and it may have been self-inflicted.

Stroud and Collins got it going early in Houston's Week 5 showdown against the Buffalo Bills. The former found the latter wide-open on a deep route for a 67-yard touchdown in the first quarter to put the Texans up 14-3. However, the score may have done more harm than good after forcing the standout wideout to exit the contest with a hamstring issue.

Texans star WR Nico Collins suffers apparent setback on recent hamstring injury

Collins entered the blue medical tent before eventually heading to the locker room. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that he's been ruled out for the remainder of the contest, ending his day prematurely. But it's worth noting the pass-catcher popped up on last week's injury report because of his hamstring. That said, you can't help but wonder if this latest instance is a setback, and if it could've been avoided.

After being limited in Thursday's practice leading up to Houston's Week 4 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Collins got a full session in on Friday. He had a monster day, catching 12 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown, so it seemed like the ailment was behind him. Nonetheless, the 25-year-old is dealing with the matter again in a crucial AFC clash with the Bills.

Before leaving the game, Collins caught his two targets for 78 yards and the mentioned trip to the end zone. He's been the best receiver in football thus far through the early portion of the 2024 campaign. If the soft tissue malady lingers moving forward, it'd undoubtedly be a massive blow for Houston.

Entering the battle with the Bills, Collins led an NFL-high 489 receiving yards. He exceeded the century mark in three of Houston's first four games and established himself as one of the league's premier offensive playmakers.