Texans rookie wide receiver Nico Collins' shoulder injury will sideline him for between three and four weeks, according to a league source not authorized to speak publicly.
Texans coach David Culley characterized Collins' injury as "pretty significant."
Collins got hurt Sunday during a 31-21 road loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Collins caught two passes for 39 yards during the first two games of the regular season.
Pro Bowl return specialist Andre Roberts has been playing on offense with Collins injured.
When the Texans maneuvered to draft Collins in the third round out of Michigan, they had plans for him that involved using his size and athleticism.
Although the imposing 6-foot-4, 215-pound rookie wasn't a big factor in the passing game during his first NFL regular-season contest, he played 55 snaps and provided some strong run blocking for an offense that piled up 160 yards on the ground and two touchdown runs.
Collins had made steady progress since training camp when coach David Culley was seeking more consistency from the Alabama native.
Collins caught one of three passes thrown to him during a 37-21 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars to open the season.
Collins led the Big Ten Conference with a 19.7 average per catch in 2019, finishing with 37 receptions for 729 yards and seven touchdowns.
Collins was named the Wolverines’ Offensive Player of the Year in 2019 one year after earning the team’s Most Improved Player award when he caught 38 passes for 632 yards and six touchdowns.
Aaron Wilson has covered the NFL for 20 seasons, including the Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars. He has previously written for The Houston Chronicle and The Baltimore Sun. He’s on Twitter: @AaronWilson_NFL and Instagram: @aaronwilson7128.