HOUSTON — Wide receiver Christian Kirk stepped up in the Houston Texans’ wildcard win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night, and the team may need him to replicate that performance if fellow receiver Nico Collins is unable to play Sunday.
Kirk’s career-high 144 receiving yards helped power the Texans’ 30-6 victory and set a franchise postseason record, surpassing Collins’ mark in last year’s wild-card victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
“I’m very happy for Christian to know the type of person he is,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “He’s one of the best guys in our locker room and works really hard all week. He’s been grinding all season to be an impact player for us. I’m glad it worked out for him in one of our biggest games of the year.”
Quarterback CJ Stroud leans on Kirk as he grinds out a rare night in which he threw an interception and lost two fumbles. The three catches were the most in a game since his rookie season.
But Stroud and Kirk were still able to produce three crucial downs, with the Pro Bowl quarterback targeting Kirk nine times for 126 yards and a touchdown. Kirk came up big after Collins and Justin Watson entered the concussion protocol and were ruled out in the second half.
“I think he’s one of the best in the league,” Stroud said of Kirk. “We tried to find ways to get him the ball…I told him that it is not easy to be in this year. [and] lack of productivity, mathematical intelligence. For him to continue week after week, preparing the way he is, to see it pay off was really a doll. I’m proud of him.”
The regular season was up and down for Kirk, whom Houston traded a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier in the season. Kirk, in his eighth year, finished with 239 yards receiving in the regular season, where he missed four games with a hamstring injury. His 64-yard reception in Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens was a regular-season high.
Texans WR Nico Collins is inactive today.
That nearly hit the Patriots this week.
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) January 15, 2026
Regarding Collins’ availability for Sunday’s playoff game against the New England Patriots on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC), Ryans said, “We’ll see how the week goes.” The Pro Bowl wideout didn’t practice Wednesday, and the last time he was hit — in Week 7 against the Seattle Seahawks — he didn’t play the following week.
“We’re a unit, and any one of us at any time can step up and fill in and make plays when needed,” Kirk said. “My number was called, and I’m glad I was able to step up in those times.”
