Texans' C.J. Stroud compares WR Nico Collins to Hall of Famer Andre Johnson: 'He's a generational talent'

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins had himself a career season in 2023, becoming the favorite target of quarterback C.J. Stroud and putting up by far his best career numbers in Year 3.

This week at the Texans’ minicamp, Stroud discussed his relationship with the wideout and compared Collins’ playing style and potential to one of the franchise’s greatest players in history.

Stroud, via team transcripts, compared Collins to Andre Johnson, a legendary player from the previous generation. He expressed his admiration for Collins’ speed, agility in maneuvering his braces, release techniques, and strength. He voiced his belief that Collins’ performance last year was merely a glimpse of his potential for the future.

Such accolades for a player who has only been in the league for three years and had less than 1,000 receiving yards before the previous season are impressive. However, Stroud evidently recognizes exceptional skill in his wide receiver, sufficient to compare him with one of the NFL’s legendary wide receivers.

Johnson, who is part of the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, is the Texans’ all-time leader in receptions (1,012), receiving yards (13,597) and touchdowns (64).

While Johnson’s career numbers earned over a span of 14 years obviously outmatch Collins’ output through three years in the league, Collins’ 2023 season did put himself in the conversation of the best individual seasons for a Texan on record. The 25-year-old’s 1,297 receiving yards rank No. 8 in single-season results, and his eight touchdowns are tied for fifth, with only Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins having had better seasons based on those metrics.

This offseason, Collins was rewarded with a three-year, $72.5 million extension, putting him among the top-10 highest-paid wide receivers in the league. While Collins would have a long way to go to match Johnson in terms of impact on the Texans over the course of a career, keeping him under contract through the 2027 season does ensure Stroud will have his most reliable target around for the foreseeable future.

While Stroud relied significantly on Collins last year, connecting with him nearly twice as much as any other wide receiver, it’s expected that this year will see a more varied distribution of targets due to a significantly larger unit.

The addition of Stefon Diggs, who had 1,183 yards as the WR1 for the Bills last year, coupled with the return of the Tank Dell, who showed promise as a rookie before breaking his leg in Week 13, means Collins will undoubtedly be sharing targets much more this fall.

Stroud asserts that Collins is comfortable sharing the wealth. Having several top-notch receivers in the lineup will only enhance a passing offense, which ranked seventh in yards in 2023, according to him.

“Having five No. 1s is quite impressive, a feat I’ve accomplished both in college and now again. It’s exhilarating,” expressed Stroud. “Nico is the kind of person who relishes in the success of others. His affection for his brothers remains constant. Witnessing someone worthy receive their due reward is a unique experience. I’m incredibly proud of him,” he added.