Nico Collins is ready for the 2025 season to begin after the Houston Texans failed to reach the Super Bowl in 2024.
Collins, the Texans’ star receiver, saw a similar ending to his breakout 2023 campaign amid C.J. Stroud’s second season. A 10-7 finish in the regular season led to a playoff win at home.
That led to a loss in the divisional round against the top-seeded roster in the AFC despite it being a one-score game entering halftime.
Collins plans to attack the offseason in stride. This year might have gone south, but it’s more because of the talent lost rather than the loss of internal belief.
“Due to a lot of injuries, we kind of went down,” Collins said Friday on NFL Network’s The Insiders.”But I feel like we have the right pieces, the right people, the right coaches in the right positions. I feel like we know what type of guys we have in the locker room and we know where we want to go. I feel like the main thing is [we] just got to be healthy.”
Houston was banged up, mainly at receiver. After trading for two-time All-Pro Stefon Diggs, the Texans believed a trio of Collins, Tank Dell and the newly acquired Pro Bowler would give the franchise perhaps the top receiver room.
Nico Collins on the Texans reaching a Super Bowl:
“We right there man, just one game away…We gotta figure it out, & I feel like we will. I ain’t Stressan about it.”
If Nico ain’t Stressan, I ain’t Stressan!!
pic.twitter.com/Iis05bBvUl
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) February 8, 2025
Instead, Diggs lasted eight games before suffering a torn ACL. Dell, who suffered a season-ending injury last fall, lacked his signature explosiveness before suffering another lower-body injury that will keep him out for most of next season.
Even Collins was hurt after a hot start. During Week 5’s victory over the Buffalo Bills, the Pro Bowler left in the first quarter with a hamstring injury and missed the next five games while on the injured reserve.
The offensive woes led to Bobby Slowik’s firing following last month’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Enter new play-caller Nick Caley from the Los Angeles Rams and the passing attack should be more productive.
“I don’t know much about Nick Caley, but I know from his previous years at the Rams, they had a great offense, explosive offense. Just watching Puka, Kupp go crazy.. I’m assuming it’s gunna be that same way when he comes.”
Can’t wait to see how Nick Caley uses Nico Collins. pic.twitter.com/7jaRMJCyj8
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) February 8, 2025
“It’s gonna be a great year for us,” Collins said. “New OC, but I feel like we’ve got the same guys, same mindset, come in ready to work. Can’t wait to meet him, get ready for OTAs, learn the playbook and get going.”
Collins said that losing in Arrowhead for a second time in less than six weeks left a bitter taste among players.
“We left a bad taste in our mouth leaving K.C.,” Collins said. “We know what it takes. We know what we got to do to make that next jump.”
The team is looking to progress rather than stay idle. The fifth-year pro is confident his squad is built to continue their success moving forward.
“I’m not stressing,” Collins said. “I love this team. I love the guys.”