Texans Give Nico Collins $17M Raise, End Trade Talk
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- Nico Collins and the Texans agreed to a reworked deal Tuesday that guarantees his salary for the next two seasons and includes a raise, agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
- The contract adjustment includes a $9 million cash increase in 2026 and an $8 million cash increase in 2027, pushing Collins' 2026 pay to $29.875 million — fifth highest among NFL wide receivers.
- Collins was previously set to earn $20,875,005 in 2026 after signing a three-year, $72 million extension in 2024, a figure that would have ranked him just 18th at his position despite elite production.
- The raise closes a market gap: since 2024, Collins ranks 10th in receiving yards (2,123), fourth in yards per game (78.4), and tied for 14th in touchdowns (13) — all on a salary that lagged well behind that tier.
- GM Nick Caserio addressed trade rumors head-on at the end of Day 2 of the draft: "We're not trading Nico Collins. Whoever reported it or whatever information that they had, they can shove it. We're not trading Nico."
- Collins, 27, has been C.J. Stroud's No. 1 wideout since Houston took the Ohio State QB No. 2 overall in 2023, surpassing 1,000 receiving yards in each of the past three seasons and earning Pro Bowl nods the last two (2025: 71 catches, 1,117 yards in 15 games).
Why it matters: The deal locks in CJ Stroud's top target through 2027 and corrects a pay-vs-production gap: Collins ranked 10th in receiving yards since 2024 but would have been only the 18th-highest-paid WR. For Houston, the $17M combined raise eats into 2026-2027 cap space but eliminates any trade leverage from outside speculation and signals the Texans are building around their existing offensive core rather than breaking it apart.
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