The Houston Texans and wide receiver Nico Collins agreed to a three-year contract extension worth $72 million, according to Dianna Russini of the Athletic. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston reported the deal has $52 million guaranteed. This gives the 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk another data point to work off of in their contract negotiations.
Wilson also reported the contract is worth $72.75 million, with a maximum value of $75 million.
Collins had a breakout season with the Texans last year, posting 80 catches for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games. He was entering the final year of his rookie contract after joining Houston in 2021 as a third-round pick from Michigan.
While his track record isn’t as complete as Aiyuk’s, his outstanding season last year with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud was enough to get him a sizable payday.
The $24 million annually puts him in the DK Metcalf and Deebo Samuel range for AAV, but his guaranteed number leaps off the screen. A $52 million guarantee is the second-highest guarantee for a receiver in the NFL. Only Tyreek Hill’s $52,535,000 is higher, per Over the Cap.
That’s more likely to be the number Aiyuk and his camp will focus on when it comes to their negotiations. Even Amon-Ra St. Brown’s huge deal worth up to $120 million with the Lions only includes $34,666,000 guaranteed.
Speculation has been that Aiyuk will aim for a deal similar to St. Brown’s, but now that Collins has agreed to this extension we can likely circle that one as something closer to what the second-team All-Pro will be aiming for this offseason.
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