Texans, WR Nico Collins Agree On Reworked Deal
The Texans shot down Nico Collins trade rumors after the draft, and they are now taking care of their top wide receiver. Collins and the team agreed on a reworked deal Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Collins will receive raises in 2026 and ’27 as a part of this agreement, per Schefter, who notes the sixth-year veteran will see a $9MM cash influx in 2026 and an $8MM bump in 2027. Both Collins’ 2026 and ’27 salaries are now guaranteed.
Houston’s May 2024 extension agreement with Collins has aged extraordinarily well. He is tied to a three-year, $72.75MM deal. Even at the time, that contract looked team-friendly, as A.J. Brown had moved the receiver market to $32MM per year weeks earlier. Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase and now Jaxon Smith-Njigba have taken the market onto new tiers since the Collins contract was finalized. The Texans’ top skill-position talent, in terms of AAV, had been tied to a salary nearly $20MM south of Smith-Njigba’s market-setting pact ($42.15MM per year).
No new years are being added to Collins’ deal, but the raises here are substantial — as are the guarantee bumps. Collins was due $20MM in guaranteed compensation this year but had no guarantees in place for 2027. Collins was tied to a nonguaranteed $21.25MM salary next year. That number will rise considerably, and it continues a pattern of Texans proactivity on the contract front.
More to come.
Texans To Sign WR Jha’Quan Jackson
The Texans recently hosted a number of free agent receivers for workouts. That process has now resulted in at least one contract agreement.
Houston has agreed to terms with Jha’Quan Jackson, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. Jackson was one of five wideouts who received a look from the Texans, joining River Cracraft, D’Wayne Eskridge, Samori Toure and Demarcus Lacey in that regard. The other free agents will now turn their attention elsewhere unless another Houston signing is being planned.
Jackson was a sixth-round pick of the Titans in 2024. He made 12 appearances as a rookie, seeing sparse usage on offense during that span. The Tulane product handled punt return duties but struggled with fumbles before being replaced in that role. Jackson did not survive roster cuts at the end of training camp last year; he was briefly on the Saints’ practice squad but did not see any game time with New Orleans.
The Texans’ WR depth chart is set to once again be topped by Nico Collins in 2026. Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are preparing for their second NFL campaigns, while Tank Dell could return to action after being sidelined for all of last season. Xavier Hutchinson and Jared Wayne are also in the fold, so Jackson will face an uphill battle in terms of carving out a roster spot during training camp this summer.
Houston entered Tuesday with roughly $17.7MM in cap space. This Jackson signing will not make a notable impact to that figure, so further roster moves will be feasible ahead of upcoming mandatory practices next month and training camp in the summer.
Ravens S Jaylinn Hawkins Considered Patriots, Three Others In Free Agency
After a relatively unheralded first five years of his career, safety Jaylinn Hawkins broke out in 2025 as a key part of the Patriots’ elite defense. He started 15 games and led the unit with four interceptions to go along with 71 total tackles and six passes defended, also top-five marks team-wide.
That performance helped Hawkins draw significant interest in free agency before ultimately signing a two-year, $10MM with the Ravens. In Baltimore, the 28-year-old will operate as the No. 3 safety in Jesse Minter‘s new defense behind All-Pro Kyle Hamilton and 2025 first-rounder Malaki Starks.
Hawkins did consider staying in New England, he revealed on The Lounge podcast (via ESPN’s Mike Reiss), hinting that the Patriots opted to sign All-Pro and reigning NFL interceptions leader Kevin Byard instead. He also indicated that the Cowboys, Texans, and Panthers all expressed interest before his decision to sign in Baltimore.
All three of those teams made changes to their safety room this offseason, but it is unclear if they could have offered a bigger role for Hawkins. The Ravens had a clear need for a third safety in 2025, resulting in the Odafe Oweh–Alohi Gilman swap with the Chargers, but Gilman and Ar’Darius Washington left in free agency. Gilman played 749 snaps in Baltimore, representing a 98% snap share across his 12 games as a Raven, so Hawkins is in line for a substantial role in his new defense.
The Cowboys re-signed Malik Hooker for his sixth year in Dallas this offseason, and signed longtime Cardinals starter Jalen Thompson to replace Donovan Wilson. They also added P.J. Locke and used a first-round pick on Ohio State All-American Caleb Downs, giving new defensive coordinator Christian Parker multiple options for this season. Dallas might have been a good destination for Hawkins to operate as a versatile No. 3 behind Hooker and Thompson, but Downs would have complicated his path to playing time.
The Texans are returning their 2025 starters, Jalen Pitre and Calen Bullock, as well as veteran No. 3 M.J. Stewart and 2025 sixth-rounder Jaylen Reed. Rather than signing Hawkins, they signed former Eagles Reed Blankenship to a three-year, $24.75MM deal and drafted USC’s Kamari Ramsey in the fifth round of April’s draft. DeMeco Ryans‘ defense does not frequently use three-safety packages, but Houston’s $8.25MM per year investment in Blankenship and Pitre’s slot flexibility could lead to some changes in 2026.
The Panthers entered the new league year with just three safeties on their roster: veteran starter Tre’von Moehrig, 2025 fourth-rounder Lathan Ransom, and 2024 UDFA Demani Richardson. Nick Scott was retained for the other starting job, but the unit could have used another veteran like Hawkins in a tertiary role. Carolina later added Penn State’s Zakee Wheatley with a fifth-round pick, but they may remain a team to watch for a safety acquisition in the coming months.
Texans TE Cade Stover Fully Recovered From Hernia Surgery
Cade Stover was largely healthy during his rookie campaign but he was limited to nine games during the regular season last year. He has returned to full health in time for spring practices with the Texans, though.
Stover suffered a knee injury during Houston’s divisional round loss. As Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports, the injury did not require surgery. A procedure did wind up being necessary for a hernia, however. Wilson adds Stover managed to recover from that surgery in time to participate in full during the Texans’ conditioning program.
[RELATED: E.J. Speed Suffers Quadriceps Tear]
As a rookie, Stover logged a 40% snap share on offense. That figure grew slightly in 2025 despite the fact he broke his foot in Week 1. A notable workload may not be in store with respect to the passing game, seeing as the 25-year-old has only been targeted 38 times to date in his career. Nevertheless, Stover will be expected to be a regular run-blocking figure on offense provided he can remain healthy for the start of the 2026 season.
The Texans’ tight end position also includes returnee Dalton Schultz, free agent signing Foster Moreau and second-round rookie Marlin Klein. Brevin Jordan is in the fold as well, something which could create a logjam at the TE spot. Wilson adds Stover has been taking reps at fullback this spring. A part-time role in that capacity could of course increase his playing time for Year 3 in the NFL.
Jordan missed all of last season due to a torn patellar tendon but agreed to an extension in December. Per Wilson, the five-year veteran is “making a sound recovery” from that injury, his latest notable one. A clean bill of health in Jordan’s case would be key as the Texans weigh their tight end options leading up to roster cuts at the end of the summer. That process will include Stover aiming to carve out a role while looking to join Jordan as a full training camp participant.
Brian Flores Amends Complaint Against NFL, Subpoenas 31 Teams
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores* recently amended his lawsuit against the NFL and six of its teams to include a Title VII claim, and now he has amended it again. Per Daniel Kaplan of Front Office Sports, Flores has added a new retaliation count.
The nature of the allegation is presently unclear, but based on the NFL’s response, it appears Flores is arguing the league’s effort to enforce the arbitration provisions in its contracts is itself retaliatory. If that’s the case, sports attorney Chris Deubert tells Kaplan it “makes no sense,” and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk concedes it will be difficult to prove.
Nonetheless, Flores has scored a series of key wins in this long-running saga, and he is striking while the iron is hot. The trial court has allowed his claims against all six teams (the Giants, Broncos, Texans, Dolphins, Titans, and Cardinals) to proceed to trial rather than remain in the NFL’s arbitration system, and the trial court has also allowed the case to move forward as normal even as the NFL seeks United States Supreme Court review of that issue.
Allowing the case to move forward includes lifting the stay on discovery, so in addition to the amended complaint, Flores has subpoenaed 31 of the NFL’s 32 teams, as Kaplan details (presumably, only the Vikings have not been subpoenaed). ESPN’s Kris Rhim adds Flores has served more than 1,000 discovery requests, which the league has argued are punishingly overbroad.
“They’re obviously going scorched-earth,” Deubert said. “Presuming he’s asking about their employment hiring practices and policies, and even that can be difficult to just to respond to. … But those teams are probably going to object to the subpoenas, probably collectively through the league-friendly counsel, and say it’s not relevant, and there’ll be an interesting sort of fight there.”
The defendants will file a motion to dismiss in response to the latest amended complaint. As Rhim notes, the deadline for that is June 5. Pretrial briefs are due in late July/early August. A trial date likely will not be set until after the court rules on the motions to dismiss.
*Steve Wilks and Ray Horton are Flores’ co-plaintiffs, but for ease of reading, we will simply use Flores’ name when referring to the plaintiffs’ side of this matter.
Texans’ E.J. Speed Suffers Quadriceps Tear, Expected To Miss Regular-Season Time
The Texans re-signed E.J. Speed this offseason, but they are now unlikely to have the veteran linebacker available by Week 1. Speed suffered a quadriceps injury during offseason workouts.
Speed sustained a partially torn quad and a partially torn tendon, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports. The injuries will require a surgery that is expected to sideline Speed for part of the regular season. The Texans have hope Speed can return during the regular season, per Wilson, but no exact timetable is in place yet.
The injury occurred during a weightlifting session at the Texans’ facility, Wilson adds. This would make Speed eligible to land on the active/PUP list to open training camp — a near-certainty after this news — and the reserve/PUP list to open the regular season. If the Texans use the reserve/PUP list for Speed, he would be required to miss at least four games.
Cowboys team doctor Dan Cooper will perform the surgery, per Wilson, who adds a three-month recovery timetable — plus additional rehab — is on track. Speed re-signed with the Texans on a two-year, $10MM deal that included $7.5MM guaranteed at signing. The Texans re-signed Speed shortly before free agency, making him a priority after a 2025 partnership.
Houston gave Speed a one-year, $3.5MM deal to come over from Indianapolis in 2025, and he started nine games while playing 44% of the Texans’ defensive snaps. The Texans have Henry To’oTo’o and the recently extended Azeez Al-Shaair in place as their top two linebackers, but Speed serves as the No. 3 LB. Although he can be classified as a part-time player, the former Colts mainstay’s $7.5MM guarantee reflects his status as a key role cog. Speed will turn 31 next month.
Players activated from the reserve/PUP list do not count toward teams’ eight injury activations during the regular season. But with Speed working as a regular starter over the past three seasons, it is still a setback to a loaded Texans defense (the former Colts fifth-rounder has 41 career starts). Houston did draft two linebackers, bringing in Wade Woodaz in Round 4 and Aiden Fisher in Round 7. Woodaz would stand to have a clearer path to playing time after the Speed setback.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/21/26
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Waived: RB Deion Hankins
- Placed on exempt/international player list: P Tory Taylor
Houston Texans
- Waived/injured: CB Ajani Carter
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OT Marques Cox, RB Carlos Washington
- Waived: TE Jalin Conyers, OL Braeden Daniels
Texans Try Out 5 Wide Receivers
The Texans currently have 12 wideouts under contract, but they are still exploring additional options at the position. Houston hosted five receivers for workouts, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, including River Cracraft, D’Wayne Eskridge, and Samori Toure.
Cracraft, 31, has spent time with four teams in his eight-year career. After a year on the Broncos’ practice squad, the former Washington State Cougar made his first eight regular-season appearances in 2018 but only played 19 snaps the following season. He spent the next two years in San Francisco with more time on offense but just nine targets in as many games. Cracraft was relegated to special teams duties in 2021 and signed with Mike McDaniel‘s Dolphins the following offseason. He saw more offensive involvement in Miami with 29 appearances and 464 snaps over the next three years, but still remained a tertiary target with just 289 receiving yards. He spent last year on Washington’s practice squad with just 11 snaps in his two elevations.
The Seahawks selected Eskridge with the No. 59 pick in the 2021 draft, but the 29-year-old only appeared in 24 games across his first three seasons due to injuries and a suspension of the league’s personal conduct policy. His contributions when healthy amounted to just 302 total yards on 32 touches. Eskridge spent the last two years in Miami but remained on the periphery of the offense with a lead kick return role in 2025.
Toure, 28, was a Packers seventh-round pick in 2022 who appeared in 22 games over his first two seasons with 251 snaps on offense. He only caught 13 of his 28 targets for 160 yards with just three snaps on special teams. He spent the 2024 season on the Bears practice squad and appeared in one game for the Saints last year.
Houston also hosted undrafted rookie Demarcus Lacey and Titans 2024 sixth-round pick Jha’Quan Jackson for workouts. Lacey racked up 769 yards through the air and 157 on the ground at Marshall in 2025 with an average of 12.2 yards on 17 punt returns. Jackson was Tennessee’s primary punt returner for 12 games as a rookie, but he lost the job after committing five fumbles. He was waived during final roster cuts in 2025 and spent a week on the Saints’ practice squad in November.
Four of the five wideouts have experience as a returner, indicating the Texans may also be looking for special teams help as they progress through OTAs. However, their roster is still well-stocked at the receiver position, so the team could be getting an idea of their options should they need more depth by training camp.
Texans Sign Round 2 TE Marlin Klein
MAY 17: Klein’s deal contains full guarantees for the first three years, per Wilson. Roughly $60K is guaranteed for the final season of the pact. In all, Klein secured 76.96% in guarantees; that represents a significant increase compared to the 67.17% from the No. 59 slot in 2025.
MAY 14: A run on tight ends occurred in the second round. Despite extending Dalton Schultz earlier this offseason, Texans participated by drafting Michigan’s Marlin Klein.
The Texans, who made two second-round choices in this draft, chose Klein 59th. They now have him signed to a four-year rookie deal, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. The deal is worth $8.18MM and will undoubtedly carry more guarantees at signing than the No. 59 pick in the 2025 draft received.
[RELATED: Texans Give Second-Round DT Kayden McDonald Fully Guaranteed Deal]
Four tight ends went off the board between Nos. 54 and 61. The Eagles began that stretch with Eli Stowers, while the Jaguars viewed this draft range as likely to produce a few TE picks; that led them to draft Nate Boerkircher much earlier than most expected him to go. The Texans chose Klein soon after, and the Rams added Max Klare at No. 61. Like each of the second-round TEs in this draft, Klein will go to a team with an established starter.
Stowers joins an Eagles team that re-signed Dallas Goedert, while the Jaguars have Brenton Strange lined up as an extension candidate. The Rams re-signed Tyler Higbee and used a second-round pick last year on Terrance Ferguson, and the Texans have Schultz signed through 2027 via a one-year, $12.6MM extension.
The Texans, whom Wilson notes used “30” visits on Klare and Georgia TE Oscar Delp (a third-round Saints pick), had discussions about trading down from No. 59. While sixth-year GM Nick Caserio confirmed discussions took place about moving down, the Texans added Klein after considering a move back into Round 1 for Kayden McDonald. The team ultimately did not need to make that move, though it did climb two spots (via the Raiders) to grab the Ohio State defensive lineman at No. 36.
A Germany native who played high school football in Georgia, Klein clocked a 4.61-second 40-yard dash time at the Combine. The 6-foot-6 pass catcher was certainly not a prolific receiving option with the Wolverines, totaling 38 catches for 364 yards and one touchdown in four Ann Arbor seasons. He played behind 2025 first-rounder Colston Loveland while also waiting his turn behind future NFLers AJ Barner and Luke Schoonmaker at Michigan.
ESPN’s Scouts Inc. viewed Houston’s decision as a slightly bigger reach than Jacksonville’s, ranking Klein 176th among this year’s prospects. Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board was more bullish, slotting Klein 84th. Klein’s blocking ability drew plus reviews heading into the draft, however, and the Texans should have room for him to develop while Schultz continues to operate as the team’s top receiving TE. Free agency addition Foster Moreau also stands to help Houston have Klein in place as a developmental option in 2026.
WR Nico Collins Aims To Continue Texans Career
Shortly before last month’s draft, Nico Collins was the subject of trade calls. To no surprise, Texans general manager Nick Caserio insisted the team’s No. 1 receiver will not be on the move.
A desire on the part of the team to keep Collins in the fold clearly exists, and that sentiment is mutual. The two-time Pro Bowler has spent each of his first five NFL seasons in Houston. If he has his way, Collins’ Texans run will continue well beyond 2026.
“I love the Texans,” the 27-year-old said (via Aaron Wilson of KPRC2). “I got drafted here. It’s somewhere I want to end. I love the city, the people, the community. There’s a lot of great positive vibes coming out of the city of Houston. So, it’s definitely a place I would like to retire.”
Collins flashed potential but delivered modest production over the course of his first two NFL campaigns. The arrival of quarterback C.J. Stroud offered a considerable boost, though, and the two have formed a strong connection during their time together. Collins has topped 1,000 yards in each of the past three seasons, totaling 21 touchdowns over that span. He inked an extension averaging $24.25MM per year in 2024.
The receiver market has continued to surge since then, and Collins has fallen down the pecking order in terms of WR compensation recently. Two years remain on the Michigan product’s deal, and he is owed $20MM in guaranteed salary for 2026. Collins is due $21.25MM in base pay for 2027, but that figure is not guaranteed. As Wilson notes, an extension being worked out prior to the start of next offseason would thus come as no surprise.
Houston’s defense will have a number of high-priced contracts on the defensive side of the ball to account for over the coming years. On offense, Stroud’s next deal (should one be finalized) will bring about a considerable raise, but it may not be in place this offseason. The receiver position is a highly affordable one for the Texans aside from Collins’ contract. That is likely to remain the case with several wideouts playing on their rookie deals.
Another standout showing in terms of production would of course help Collins’ case for a raise on his next pact. If the goal for team and player winds up being met whenever an extension is worked out, he will be in line to remain a focal point on offense for the Texans not only in 2026 but into the future as well.