HOUSTON – Texans Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins signed a three-year, $75 million maximum value deal a year ago that includes a $17 million signing bonus, according to a league source.
And, now, Collins has restructured his contract to create $9.8 million in salary cap space, per a league source, as the Texans converted his $13.5 million base salary into a $12.33 million signing bonus. His original salary cap figure was $18.441 million for the 2025 season, and it’s now down to $8.577 million. His new base salary: $1.17 million, fully guaranteed. He’s due up to $625,004 in per game active roster bonuses at a rate of $36,755 available per game.
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To spread out the impact of the salary-cap maneuver, the Texans added void years of $40 million in 2028 and 2029.
Now, the Texans have more financial flexibility heading into free agency with roughly $14.525 million available and they can acquire more space with other restructures.
#Texans restructured Nico Collins' contract, lowering his original salary cap figure from $18.441 million by $9.8 million with a conversion of $13.5 million salary into a signing bonus prorated, per a league source. Collins signed 3-year, $75.69 million deal last year @KPRC2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 5, 2025
During the NFL scouting combine, Texans general manager Nick Caserio expressed confidence in the team’s ability to create financial flexibility before free agency officially begins next week.
“I think we’re able to create a little bit, going back to last year,” Caserio said. “I think we’ll be able to put ourselves in position to add some players to the team as we go here n the next few weeks. We have a pretty good team. We have a number of players that are returning. We have some players that are going to be free agents. We’re probably going to lose some players, maybe a chance to re-sign some of those players and if we don’t re-sign some of those players then maybe there’s an opportunity out there that makes sense.
“We’ll just be opportunistic. We’ll try to find players that have a very defined role and then try to match up the fit with the contract value. And if it’s a match, great. If it’s not, then we’ll go to the next thing.”
Collins’ deal has a base value of $72.75 million with $52 million guaranteed and an average of $24.25 million.
The original deal included base salaries of $1.616 million (guaranteed for skill, injury and salary cap) in 2024, $13.5 million (guaranteed for skill, injury and salary cap) in 2025, $20 million in 2026 ($10 million guaranteed for skill, injury, salary cap on fifth day of 2025 league year, $10 million more fully guaranteed fifth day of 2026 league year and $21.25 million nonguaranteed in 2027.
He has annual $625,005 in per game active roster bonuses.
The deal includes annual $750,000 incentives from 2025 to 2027: $250,000 for Pro Bowl selection, $250,000 for 95 catches, $250,000 for 1,460 receiving yards.
SEE ALSO ‘Big-time playmaker’ Nico Collins climbs to new ground for Texans’ passing game in win over Broncos
Wide receiver salaries are skyrocketing, especially for ones with rare traits like Collins.
At 6-foot-4, 222 Collins has run the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds.
He signed his new contract last year coming off a career breakthrough season during which he caught 80 passes for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 regular season games. In two playoff games, Collins caught 11 passes for 164 yards and one touchdown with nine first downs on 17 targets.
Collins provided a strong downfield presence for a resurgent Texans team led by quarterback C.J. Stroud and coach DeMeco Ryans as they went from 3-13-1 a year ago to 11-8 overall and winning the AFC South division title.
This past season, the Texans won the AFC South division title again and he set a franchise playoff record with 122 receiving yards in a playoff win over the Los Angeles Chargers on seven receptions as he surpassed DeAndre Hopkins’ playoff single-game record.
Despite missing five games with a hamstring injury, Collins managed to catch 68 passes for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns. Before his leg injury, Collins was on a torrid pace to finish the season with over 100 catches and 2,000 receiving yards.
“Nico, like I told you, was born out of the womb great,” Stroud said after the Chargers game. “Nobody knew it but his pops and his mom. That dude right there, he’s really elevated himself as an NFL No. 1 wide receiver. He shows that week in and week out. I’m just so happy for this guy.
“I think this is just the start for him as well. Another 1,000-yard season, he’s still hungry for more and he’s in here every day working on his body. I know he’s hungrier than ever. I’m happy for him. Super blessed to be a part of this journey. He’s another brother of mine.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.
