Nico Collins has helped the Texans free up some more cap space.
NFL free agency unofficially opens on Monday, March 10 at 12 p.m. EST when the legal tampering period gets underway. As a result, teams across the league are working on either getting back under the salary cap, or creating more cap space so that they can go out and sign more players. In their efforts to achieve the latter, the Houston Texans turned to their star wide receiver Nico Collins.
After his breakout campaign in 2023, Collins signed a three-year, $72.5 million contract extension with the Texans in May 2024. Even though he only played in 12 games this past season, Collins was still one of the most productive wide receivers in the league, hauling in 68 receptions for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns, earning him the first Pro Bowl honor of his career. On Tuesday, the Texans opted to restructure his deal in order to create $9.8 million in cap space.
“Salary cap-clearing season: Texans cleared $9.8M with a simple restructure on WR Nico Collins’ contract,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Texans looking to make big upgrades during 2025 NFL offseason
Houston found their way into the playoffs for the second year in a row, but they once again stumbled in the divisional round. The team didn't exactly take the leap they were expected to after their breakout 2023 campaign, and it's clear that there are some areas, particularly their offensive line, that need to be upgraded this offseason.
While this move creates a decent amount of cap space for the Texans, they still only have around $14.8 million at their disposal, which is 24th in the league. More moves will surely be made, especially if the team has any free agents they want to make a run at. For now, Collins has gotten the ball rolling for Houston in their cap-saving efforts, and it will be worth keeping tabs on them to see if they make any more moves before free agency opens.
