HOUSTON – Nico Collins was fined by the NFL $22,511 for unnecessary roughness.
The fine was assessed from an unpenalized illegal use of helmet determination from an unpenalized sideline catch in the first quarter. Collins lowered his helmet on the collision and made contact with the defender’s head.
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Collins is expected to appeal, per a league source.
Collins was also fined 11,817 for unnecessary roughness against the Chicago Bears earlier this season.
The fine stemmed from Collins’ retaliation against Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. Stevenson taunted Collins by inserting his finger into Collins’ facemask, and Collins shoved him.
Collins is NFL receiving yardage leader through four games with 489 yards on 30 receptions with two touchdowns, establishing a torrid season-long pace of 128 catches, 2,078 yards and nine touchdowns.
As the Texans’ go-to guy, Collins has a high volume of targets and is coming off a 12-catch, 151-yard and one touchdown performance on 15 targets in a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
He ranks third in the NFL with 43 targets, 10 more than Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs’ target total with five more catches overall.
Collins’ gold standard is propelling him to new heights this year after his breakout season last year that earned him a three-year, $75 million maximum value contract this offseason. Collins is more than justifying the Texans’ hefty investment. He’s practically a bargain and qualifies as an extremely smart move by Texans’ general manager Nick Caserio as an early round of negotiations with Collins’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, locked up one of the NFL’s biggest and most talented and skilled wide receivers.,
“I feel like I’m trying to be my best version of myself,” Collins said. “Just being available for the team, you know, being healthy, taking one game at a time. I’m just having fun and letting the game come to me. is I feel like the mindset I’ve got to have is be the best one out there. The guy in front of you can’t stop me. So that’s the mindset you’ve got to have every time. I feel that’s my mindset right now and we can continue to grow.”
Texans Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Johnson praised Collins’ skills and how far he’s come since his start in the NFL after being drafted in the third round.
“Man, I love the way he plays the game,” Johnson said. “To me, he reminds me of myself a little bit. I love his physicality. He makes you want to watch the game of football. What he’s doing, man, it’s been a lot of fun to watch, and I just hope he continues it.”
To be singled out for praise from the Texans’ all-time leading receiver is significant for Collins.
Johnson is one of the most respected players in franchise history and the first Texan to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
“That means a lot,” Collins said. “That’s a blessing, man. That’s a great comparison. That dude is a Hall of Famer. Dre’, he’s a baller. He’s a playmaker. I’m glad he said that. That means a lot. I continue to learn and be myself. I can’t get comfortable. Once you get comfortable, that’s when everything starts to go down.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 click2houston.com.
