The injury does not appear to warrant an injured reserve stint, but it raises immediate concerns for a Houston team that leaned heavily on Collins in its season opener. Collins missed five games in 2024 with a hamstring strain that landed him on injured reserve, and he has also dealt with other soft-tissue injuries during his career, including a calf strain and a groin pull.
Houston badly needs Collins' playmaking after a 36-31 season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills last week. The superstar receiver tallied seven catches for 75 yards and a touchdown in that shootout, and the Texans have dipped from three-point favorites to laying 2.5 points for Sunday's game.
With Collins at risk of sitting out, recent trade acquisition Kayshon Boutte is in line to serve as the team's top receiver. Houston is already down Jayden Higgins, who was expected to be its No. 2 receiver before tearing his ACL during practice in August. Boutte caught just one pass for 21 yards on two targets last week, but he immediately becomes an intriguing waiver add for fantasy football, given that the Bengals' defense was among the worst in the NFL last season. He is 18 percent owned at Yahoo.
Tight end Dalton Schultz also figures to play a big role against the Bengals, although Cincinnati had the best expected points allowed (EPA) to opposing tight ends last year. That strength against tight ends stood out in a porous season in which the Bengals allowed 7.5 yards per pass attempt (29th) and coughed up 6.2 yards per play (32nd). The projected total for Bengals-Texans comes in at 45.5, though it opened at 46.5.