The 2023 Houston Texans were living proof of how quickly a successful rebuild can come together. Not only did the Texans take the first step toward establishing themselves as year-in, year-out contenders in the AFC by making the playoffs and winning a game in the Wild Card Round, but even more important to their long-term viability than that, they've hit on a few of the key pieces that any worthwhile contender needs. Quarterback? That's an emphatic check for the NFL's Rookie of the Year, CJ Stroud. Head coach? Yeah, Houston's got a good one in DeMeco Ryans. Blue chip players on both sides of the ball? Allow me to introduce you to Will Anderson, Derek Stingley Jr., Laremy Tunsil, and the 8th-leading receiver in the NFL in 2023, Nico Collins.

Collins is a big-bodied weapon who burst onto the scene with the introduction of CJ Stroud to the Texans lineup. In 15 games, Nico Collins hauled in 80 receptions for 1,297 yards and 8 touchdowns, and had four games during the season where he set single-game career highs in receiving yards — 146 yards in week 2, 168 yards in week 4, 191 yards in Week 13, and 195 yards in a must-win game the final week of the season versus the Indianapolis Colts. Now with three seasons behind him, Collins is eligible for a lucrative extension, and the former Michigan Wolverine product is eager to get a new deal done.

“Oh man, I would love that,” Collins told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, when asked about his interest in starting up conversations to negotiate his next deal. “That would be great. I feel like that’s what everybody works for. I’m just going to let it come to me, whatever they decide, whatever they want to do. I’m going to let it ride. Me, I’m going to continue to get better and work on my game. If they want to negotiate, we can.”

If Collins didn't want to return to Houston, that would be notable breaking news. But it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that a receiver who is coming off a career season would want to continue playing alongside a potential generational talent at quarterback for the foreseeable future. And who knows, with a few more blue-chippers and the appropriate amount of time to develop, the Texans could be a true Super Bowl contender before we know it.

“Time to reload and pick up where we left off. It’s definitely a blessing, a great team to be around. I think it’s time. Can’t wait to get everybody back. I feel like we’re on a mission. It’s real. It really is. We can’t wait to be back where we left off. It wasn’t how we wanted to finish. I feel like we’re all loaded in, bought in and we want to prove everybody wrong again.”