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Houston Texans star receiver sounds off on bizarre fine from NFL
Dec 13, 2024, 12:21 pm
Nico Collins has a valid point. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.
Houston receiver Nico Collins was fined about $5,000 this week for throwing a football into the stands after a touchdown against the Titans.
Collins said it was “definitely worth it” because it was a little kid who caught the ball.
“The only thing that matters was making that kid happy,” he said Thursday. “He ain’t never going to forget that moment. So that’s all that matters to me. It’s cool. I’ll pay the fine.”
Collins grabbed a 5-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter of Houston’s loss to Tennessee on Nov. 24 and threw the ball into the stands underhanded before leaping into the crowd.
“It’s for the kids,” he said. “I seen he was screaming and was thinking here you go big dog. Here’s the ball.”
Collins, who leads the Texans with 832 yards receiving, said he was confused when he received the fine this week because he did the same thing several times last season and was never penalized.
“I guess they think you’re going to poke somebody in the eye or something,” he said.
Collins didn’t share the exact amount of the fine but said it was about $5,000.
He added that he plans to appeal.
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Isaac Paredes has been a steady force in the middle of the Astros’ order, but a tweaked hamstring suffered during Thursday’s win over the White Sox may force Houston to recalibrate, again.
If Paredes misses time, the most logical shuffle would see Jose Altuve sliding back to second base, with Mauricio Dubón stepping in at third. It’s a reasonable patch. But internally, there’s also some intrigue around whether Cam Smith—currently thriving in right field—could slide back to his original position on the infield. The idea isn’t without merit; Smith is the club’s best offensive option at third in Paredes’ absence. But defensively, it’s hard to justify moving him right now. Smith made several standout plays in the Chicago series, reinforcing just how important his glove has become to the Astros’ outfield defense. One thing is for sure, the Astros can't afford to play both Dubon and Brendon Rodgers in the infield regularly. The offense would take a huge hit.
Timing, however, might be on Houston’s side. The next stretch of games features the Twins, Athletics, and Angels—three teams the Astros can beat even while navigating lineup instability. It helps that Yainer Diaz and Christian Walker are showing signs of life at the plate. Diaz, in particular, has been red-hot, posting an OPS north of 1.200 over the past week. Walker is batting over .300 during that same span, giving the Astros enough firepower to survive short-term turbulence.
Elsewhere, the outfield presents its own set of choices. Jacob Melton has shown enough in the field to warrant a serious look as Chas McCormick’s replacement when he returns from injury. He’s still searching for consistency at the plate, batting under .200 in his first 10 big league games. But his arm and left-handed bat give manager Joe Espada a little more lineup flexibility—especially with Yordan Alvarez still out and the offense skewing right-handed.
For now, the Astros have room to adjust. But if Paredes ends up missing significant time, they’ll need more than just a few temporary solutions to keep their momentum going.
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