Texans, WR Collins Agree to $72.75M Extension

The winners of the off season are retaining their own. The Houston Texans are continuing to pour into and invest in their offense around second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud.

According to multiple reports, the Texans are signing wide receiver Nico Collins to a $72 million contract extension. The Athletic’s NFL insider, Dianna Russini, reports that the deal is for three years. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the extension has a max value of $75 million and includes a guaranteed $52 million.

Collins, 25 years-of-age, burst onto the scene as one of the NFL’s most reliable and productive receivers and a favorite target of Stroud’s last season during Stroud’s rookie campaign. In 15 games including 10 starts in 2023, Collins hauled in 80 receptions for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns. It was his coming out party and was by far the most effective of his three NFL seasons.

Collins’ ability to show that he is an absolute baller helped Stroud to a historic rookie campaign as he won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Stroud exceeded all reasonable expectations in 2023 while completing 63.9% of his passes for 8.2 yards per attempt and 273.9 yards per game with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions. He led the league by a significant margin in interception ratio and passing yards per game.

His performance helped lead the Texans to an AFC South title and their first playoff appearance since 2019 with Deshaun Watson under center. They then defeated Joe Flacco and the Cleveland Browns in the wild-card round before falling to the regular-season MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round.

The Texans have since added an arsenal of weapons around Stroud by trading for four-time Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs from the Buffalo Bills and former Cincinnati Bengals Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon in the offseason. Diggs will now anchor a loaded receiving corps that features Collins and 2023 breakout rookie Tank Dell, who is recovering from being wounded.

The Texans have now secured Collins’ services through the 2027 season on a lucrative extension with a significant bump in salary. Collins was entering the season on the final year of a four-year, $4.87 million rookie contract with a 2024 base salary of $3.1 million after being selected in the third round of the 2021 draft out of the University of Michigan.

Expectations in Houston are through the roof for next season and beyond, because everything is bigger in Texas.

“We want to put defenses in binds, and I think with those three guys it allows us to do that because they are so different, and they can all do different things,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “But at the end of the day, they are all explosive finishers with the football, and that is what makes those guys great players. They can win on third down and they can finish and get in the end zone, and that’s what we look for at all skill positions on offense.”