'They Can Take It and Shove It,' Nico Collins Trade Rumors Addressed By Texans GM Amid NFL Draft

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio pushed back Friday night against rumors surrounding a potential trade for star wide receiver Nico Collins.

"Teams call teams all the time and ask about players. We're not trading Nico Collins," Caserio said (h/t KPRC2's Aaron Wilson). "Whoever reported it, or whatever information that they had, they can take it and shove it. We're not trading Nico."

NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Friday that teams had called the Texans "to check on" Collins, but noted "it seems highly unlikely Houston would deal him."

Schultz also reported there is "an understanding in the league that [Collins] needs a contract adjustment."

Collins is under contract through the 2027 season. He is heading into the 2026 campaign under a $27.8 million cap hit, per Spotrac.

That salary ranks 18th among NFL wide receivers heading into next season, per Over the Cap.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba recently reset the positional market with the $42.15 million AAV contract he signed with the Seattle Seahawks.

That could mean the Texans will need to rework Collins' contract either this offseason or ahead of the final year of his deal in order to keep him happy in Houston.

It doesn't sound like that's enough to make Caserio consider listening to trade offers for Collins, who topped 1,000 receiving yards for a third straight season in 2025.

Collins has also expressed interest in sticking around with the Texans. He told Wilson in February he wanted to be in Houston "long-term, forever."

The Texans didn't act like a team in immediate need of a wide receiver early in the 2026 NFL draft, during which the franchise added to their offensive and defensive lines with their first two picks.

Caserio finished out Day 2 by selecting Michigan tight end Marlin Klein in the second round.

Klein will be expected to slot in behind Dalton Schultz on the depth chart as the Texans head into 2026 with Collins and Schultz once more as the top projected targets for Stroud.