HOUSTON – Texan star wide receiver Nico Colins won’t play Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts to rest him in advance of the playoffs, per a league source.
Collins, a repeat Pro Bowl selection, doesn’t have an injury, a source emphasized.
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Collins was officially ruled out later Sunday morning along with veteran running back Nick Chubb, third quarterback Graham Mertz, injured cornerback Kamari Lassiter (knee, ankle), wide receiver Braxton Berrios, injured linebacker Jamal Hill (calf) and offensive tackle Trent Brown (knee, ankle).
Collins practiced Thursday and Friday after being rested Wednesday.
Collins leads the Texans with 71 receptions for 1,117 yards and six touchdown on 120 targets this season. A former third-round draft pick from the University of Michigan, Collins has 289 career receptions for 4,347 yards and 24 touchdowns.
With Collins out of the lineup, the Texans will lean heavily on rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins and tight end Dalton Schultz in addition to receivers Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel and Christian Kirk.
Higgins and Noel caught 75-yard and 43-yard touchdowns, respectively, in the first quarter last week against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Schultz has a career-high 78 catches for 704 yards and three touchdowns.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com