INDIANAPOLIS -- Nico Collins never broke stride, hauling in a classic over-the-top high arcing spiral from C.J. Stroud that served notice about the potency of the Texans’ passing game.

As the imposing wide receiver accelerated past Indianapolis Colts cornerback JuJu Brents on a 75-yard bomb from Stroud, the huge moment on the first play of the Texans’ pivotal AFC South division title clinching victory reinforced the talent of Collins as he dominated an overmatched secondary.

The chemistry between Stroud and Collins was on full display. There was no greater example than how they dismantled the Colts’ overwhelmed secondary during a 23-19 victory that punched the Texans’ ticket to the playoffs.

Collins caught nine passes for a career-high 195 yards on nine targets against the Colts despite commanding a lot of attention from the defense.

Collins scorched Brents on the Texans’ first play from scrimmage. The football traveled 59.2 air yards, according to NextGen Stats, for the longest of Stroud and Collins’ careers.

Now, Collins and the Texans return to Indianapolis for a road season opener at Lucas Oil Stadium. Rewarded with a three-year, $75 million maximum value deal this offseason, Collins is a vital part of an ultra-talented Texans receiving corps headlined by him, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell. While the Texans have upgraded, the Colts’ secondary hasn’t changed much heading into this game.

“For Nico, that’s who he’s been,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said of Collins, who caught seven passes for 146 yards and one touchdown against the Colts in the second game of the regular season last year at NRG Stadium. “Nico is a playmaker. Every time I see him, he’s a true playmaker. So, you just have to get Nico the ball in any way, shape, or fashion. Just find a way to get him the ball and just to see how explosive and how dynamic he is when he touches the football. He made some big plays for us last year, expecting the same this year.”

The big play marked continuation of how Collins and Stroud built a strong passing connection last season, and another example of how Collins is aggressively putting a stamp on justifying why the Texans rewarded his breakthrough season with a deal hat includes a $17 million signing bonus and $52 million total guaranteed.

“When I catch the ball, that first dude is not tackling me,” said Collins, one of the bigger wide receivers in the NFL at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds. “I feel like that’s my mindset. I’m going to go score. I know I’m a bigger body, bigger frame. I’ve got to use it. Be physical. I feel like if you play full speed all the time, it’s going to be hard to come down. So, I feel like, for me, just catch a ball and just run. Run through whoever you see. Go score, go put points on the board. I feel like you do that over and over and over, that shows the team that you want it. It puts fear in opposing defenses like, ‘Yeah, they’re not quitting.’

“Especially you keep going all four quarters just head down, just on a mission. And I feel like that’s what I’m doing just always finding room for improvement on my game no matter what it is. Release at the line of scrimmage, attacking the ball, trying to make my routes look the same because I am a bigger target.”

During the breakthrough season Collins manufactured, it doesn’t come as a surprise to Stroud, the strong-armed NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year from Ohio State who has benefited greatly from his connection with a Michigan man.

“I think he just stamped who he is,” Stroud said. “I told him our first time ever working out together. I said, you’re a superstar. I never even snapped the ball in the league, but I just know good receivers. I played where we have tremendous receivers.

“I told him, my goal is to make you look as best as you can, to make you look like you. I appreciate him just being just a consistent, great friend to me, somebody who I can just let my hair down with, and I think our chemistry shows on the field. Our friendship shows on the field. I’m super proud of that dude, man. It’s just the beginning for him.”

For Collins, it was a series of stellar performances. After dealing with multiple injuries during his first two NFL seasons, including foot, calf, groin and shoulder issues, he has remained largely healthy after spending his offseason haunting the Texans’ weight room, upgrading his diet and taking up hot yoga and other body work.

He caught a career-high 80 passes for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns. He became the third wide receiver in franchise history to surpass 1,200 receiving yards, joining Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins.

Collins is determined to continue to grow as a player and reinforce why the Texans felt so confident investing in him.

The deal, negotiated by Texans general manager Nick Caserio and Collins’ agents Drew Rosenhaus, Ryan Matha and Jason Rosenhaus, has an average annual compensation of $24.25 million. The deal includes base salaries of $1.616 million (guaranteed for skill, injury and salary cap) in 2024, $13.5 million (guaranteed for skill, injury and salary cap) in 2025, $20 million in 2026 ($10 million guaranteed for skill, injury, salary cap on fifth day of 2025 league year, $10 million more fully guaranteed fifth day of 2026 league year and $21.25 million nonguaranteed in 2027.

He has annual $625,005 in per game active roster bonuses. The deal includes annual $750,000 incentives from 2025 to 2027: $250,000 for Pro Bowl selection, $250,000 for 95 catches, $250,000 for 1,460 receiving yards.

“Man, Nico, one thing about him, he’s a very hard worker,” Texans Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon said. “I’ve seen him and, obviously, you see the physical traits. And you see certain things, you know, usually jump off the charts. His size in terms of the way he’s built and he’s about 6-4 and he actually can run, too. He’s a very hard worker. And I think that from what I see personally and, you know, firsthand, I think that he deserves every bit of what he got.

Collins had five 100-yard receiving performances last season for the reigning AFC South champions.

At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds with 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash and polished route running skills, Collins represents the prototypical go-to downfield target.

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