The Dallas Cowboys’ Week 3 matchup against the Houston Texans just got a major injury update. It doesn’t involve anyone in a Cowboys uniform, but it should matter a lot to them.

Texans WR Nico Collins returned to practice Wednesday after missing last week with a hamstring injury. That’s massive news for the Houston offense, and it raises the stakes on whether Cowboys CB Shavon Revel Jr. can suit up.

Let’s break it down.

What Nico Collins means to the Texans

Collins is Houston’s best wide receiver, and the Texans have looked like a different unit with him on the field.

He played in the season opener, a 36-31 shootout loss to the Buffalo Bills. Houston came up short, but the offense played its best game of the season. Collins drew 10 targets and caught seven passes for 75 yards and a touchdown, averaging 10.7 yards per reception. He added a 7-yard carry for good measure. Since then, the Texans scored six points on the Bengals and 17 on the Colts in two losses. 

That production is nothing new. Collins has put together three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and has been a Pro Bowler in back-to-back years going back to 2024.

He wakes up a part of the Houston offense that simply isn’t there without him.

Without Collins, the Texans turned to Keyshawn Woody, whom they traded for before the season, along with Xavier Hutchinson, Jared Wayne, and Jaylin Noel. Hutchinson is more of a role player. None of them come close to what Collins brings.

The numbers back up the film

Watch the Texans without Collins and the picture is clear. QB C.J. Stroud takes a lot of hits, the pass protection isn’t great, and he’s under pressure a whole lot. When he does get time, there isn’t much separation coming from his receivers.

The exception has been Hutchinson, who has had some good moments thanks to his speed. And yet, even he struggles to separate in a lot of instances.

Here’s where it gets telling. With Collins on the field, Houston completes 67% of its passes, according to Sports Info Solutions. With Collins off the field, that number drops to 58%.

That’s nearly a nine-percentage-point gap and it shows!

To be fair, we’re dealing with a small sample size early in the 2026 season. The difference in EPA per play hasn’t been significant, either. However, the film tells the story. The Texans badly missed Collins.

Why Shavon Revel Jr. has to play

Now the attention shifts to the Cowboys’ own practice later in the day, and Revel is the name to watch.

Dallas is banged up in the secondary. The Cowboys know DaRon Bland is going to play. The big question is whether Revel joins him.

The team is optimistic about his availability and hasn’t ruled him out. Brian Schottenheimer said he expects Revel to be limited on Wednesday’s practice. That’s a relevant piece of information, because Revel lines up wide most of the time, and Collins is an outside receiver.

If Revel can’t go, the Cowboys would be without both Cobie Durant and Revel. So who does that leave?

Dallas could turn to Ameer Speed or Caelen Carson, but both made the 53-man roster mostly because of their special teams value. The Cowboys also signed multiple backs to the practice squad but no one you’d expect to start at outside corner. None of those options make for an ideal situation at cornerback against a receiver of Collins’ caliber.

The Cowboys need Revel to play. We’ll see how his injury progresses this week but Collins’ return to practice makes his availability that much more urgent. We’ll see what the Cowboys’ injury report looks like after their session. For now, this is a big update for Houston, and a concerning one for Dallas.