HOUSTON – The Texans’ star wide receiver Nico Collins and Pro Bowl defensive end Will Anderson Jr. remain sidelined and did not practice Thursday.

Collins remains on injured reserve and has not been designated for return, despite going through a regimen of tests for the hamstring injury suffered against the Buffalo Bills without setbacks and regaining his speed and mobility, running 20 miles per hour in training sessions, according to the data. league sources.

Collins has not practiced the past two days as the team prepares for a Sunday night game against the 7-1 Detroit Lions.

With Collins likely to be unavailable as Thursday is a critical practice day, the Texans will once again lean on Tank Dell as the WR1. Dell caught six passes for 126 yards, including a 50-yard reception, against the New York Jets.

That designation, once it happens, would launch Collins’ 21-day activation window for him to be restored to the active roster. Once Collins starts practicing, he will have an opportunity to be active and return to play. If the Texans feel he needs more time, Collins can remain inactive and try again next week before a Monday night game against the Dallas Cowboys. It’s a fluid situation, a source pointed out.

Collins bounced back quickly, according to league sources, after being injured catching a touchdown pass against the Bills and was placed on injured reserve.

“It’s all very encouraging,” a source said. “Nico is doing well.”

“Nico, he’s doing well,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said after Wednesday’s practice. “We’ll see where it goes.”

Anderson Jr. did not practice again because of an ankle injury suffered by the New York Jets, which is not considered a long-term issue. Center Jarrett Patterson is back at practice and participating fully as he is in the final stages of clearing the NFL concussion protocol.

“He’s doing well,” Ryans said of Anderson, who leads the team with 7 1/2 sacks. “We’ll see where it goes.”

Running back Dameon Pierce (groin) did not practice again along with defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi (groin, shoulder) and offensive guard Kenyon Green (shoulder).

Defensive end Derek Barnett (calf, shoulder) returned to practice after being sidelined Wednesday.

The following players were limited Wednesday: linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (knee), linebacker Jake Hansen (ankle), defensive end Jerry Hughes (hip), offensive guard Shaq Mason (hip), cornerback Jeff Okudah (quadriceps), offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil ( rest) and safety Jimmie Ward (groin).

Practicing for the second week in a row and on track to return for the Lions game: veteran secondary and team captain Azeez Al-Shaair and safety and team captain Jimmie Ward. Al-Shaair has been out since getting hurt against the New England Patriots. Ward has been out the last month with Eric Murray and Calen Bullock starting at safety.

Collins, who was initially optimistic he could return within weeks before an MRI revealed enough leg damage that it was diagnosed as a three-to-four-week injury, per league sources, missed obligation four weeks before he was eligible to be designated for return under NFL rules. The middle part of the right hamstring was injured.

Without Collins, the passing game suffered. That included a career-low 86 yards, 55 rushing yards, 10-of-21 passing and no touchdowns for Pro Bowl quarterback CJ Stroud during a 24-22 loss to the Packers at Lambeau Field. Stroud completed just 10 of 31 passes, a career low, in a loss to the New York Jets last Thursday.

Collins led the NFL with 567 receiving yards before the injury. Without him, the focus of the offense shifted to quarterback Joe Mixon, as he reached the century mark in four straight games with at least one touchdown per contest.

Collins is a unique receiver who towers over opposing defensive backs with his superior size. His speed as a long passer eats up real estate as he regularly creates separation in the secondary. His refined routes, sound hands and ability to set up the football by towering over shorter competitors are all in the elite category.

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One of the most dominant and productive downfield threats in the game was missed in a Texans passing game was headlined by him and Stroud as their connection was broken.

Without Collins, a 6-foot-4, 222-pound speedster who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds, the Texans struggled to replace his production. Collins caught 32 passes before the injury and was on pace to record 109 catches for 1,928 yards and 10 touchdowns before injuring his right hamstring while catching a 67-yard touchdown pass in a win against the Bills when his leg locked up for a long stretch. touch grip.

“It’s a shame we won’t have Nico, great player, best receiver in the league,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said at the time of the injury. “He will be back at some point this season. The opportunity for other guys to step up and make the most of their opportunity, that’s what the league is about. A lot of guys who have stepped in when other guys are gone have made a name for themselves and made some big league plays, so we’re looking for the same thing for whoever it is.

“Whatever we call, whatever plays we design for this week, it’s about us being efficient as an offense. It’s never about one player and Nico, of course, made a lot of big plays for us and we’ll miss his explosive plays on the field. I keep saying this: Who’s next? Who will step up? Who will make those pieces? We’ll see.”

Life without Collins was difficult. There is no other receiver like him on the roster that has his rare combination of size and speed and other traits. And the Texans lost Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs to a torn ACL.

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It was a tall order for the receiving corps to replace.

“Losing someone like Nico is very hard,” Stroud said. “Everyone understands that we will miss him. I think I can. Certainly only the next man in mentality. You have to be able to win football games without him for a little bit.”

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Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 click2houston.com.