HOUSTON — When the Houston Texans took on the Dallas Cowboys during their second preseason game on Saturday, they did so without rookie wideout Nico Collins. Collins made the trip to AT&T Stadium and joined his teammates on the sideline, but did not dress — according to Texans beat reporter Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790.
Following the Texans’ 20-14 victory over the Cowboys, first-year head coach David Culley announced that Collins had been dealing with a minor muscle pull and that the 22-year-old receiver from Michigan “will be fine.”
“[It’s] something that we just felt like that we really didn’t need to play him tonight for that reason,” Culley said during his postgame press conference. “We knew that if we gave him some rest that he’ll be ready to go. He actually could have played tonight if we wanted him to play tonight. Our staff felt like it was best to not play him where we can get that thing taken care of and move forward.”
Collins has yet to miss a day of practice since the Texans opened training camp in late July. He made his unofficial NFL debut during Houston’s preseason win against the Green Bay Packers, where he recorded one reception for 24 yards in the win.
Collins’ absence, along with Anthony Miller who sustained a slight shoulder separation in Green Bay, presented an opportunity for Jordan Veasy to showcase his potential as a quality wide receiver for the Texans. He recorded 30 yards on two catches. Veasy’s longest was an 18-yard reception from rookie quarterback Davis Mills.