Texans' Nico Collins Out vs. Jets After Suffering Calf Injury

The Houston Texans took a hit to their offense after wide receiver Nico Collins went down with a calf injury during the first quarter of Sunday's game against the New York Jets.

The team announced at halftime that Collins was downgraded from questionable to out for the remainder of the game.

It's a big loss for the Texans, as they have already taken some blows to their offense. Last week, rookie wide receiver Tank Dell suffered a season-ending injury. Receiver Noah Brown also came into the game questionable.

A banged up Texans team is looking to for their eighth win of the season.

Collins has been the main option for quarterback C.J. Stroud this season, racking up 1,004 receiving yards and six touchdowns this season. His six touchdowns are the second-most of Houston's receiving group, just one behind Dell.

Collins pulled in a 13-yard reception in the first quarter of Sunday's game before exiting with the injury.

The Michigan product has made a huge jump in the third year of his NFL career. After recording 446 receiving yards his rookie season and 481 in his second season, his production has more than doubled this year and has proved to be a force on offense for the Texans.

Collins suffered a thigh injury earlier this season, which kept him out of the Texans' Week 10 win against the Cincinnati Bengals. He managed to bounce back from that injury quickly and played in the following game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Houston has shown tremendous improvement since last season's 3-13-1 season. The Texans are 7-5 on the year and sit in second place in the AFC South, tied with the Indianapolis Colts and one game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Texans are looking to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2019 this season. After facing the Jets, they will close out the season with a pair of games against the Tennessee Titans, the Cleveland Browns and the Colts.

With one key receiver already out for the season in Dell, Houston is hoping Collins' injury won't be too serious and he can get back on the field soon to help the Texans finish out the season strong.