The Houston Texans are 2-0 in large part because of the dynamic connection between CJ Stroud and Nico Collins. The Texans' fifth-year receiver currently leads the NFL with 252 receiving yards and 126.0 receiving yards per game, as proof. His 18.0 yards per reception is also wild to see, even if it's a small sample size.
Collins signed a massive extension this past offseason and he deserves every penny. However, he's going to have to give $11,817 of that back to the NFL after he was fined for unnecessary roughness against the Chicago Bears in Week 2.
The fine stems from Collins' retaliation against Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson with 11 seconds left in the first quarter. Stevenson taunted Collins by inserting his pointer finger into Collins' facemask, and Collins' promptly shoved him, as you can below:
Collins was also hit with a 15-yard penalty during the game that created a 2nd and 24, but his answer was a 28-yard touchdown reception on that very play. The touchdown was Collins' first of the year and it gave the Texans a 10-3 lead at the top of the second quarter.
Two other Texans players were fined for Week 2 infractions. Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was also hit with an $11,817 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct. He wasn't flagged during the game, but the NFL's Gameday Accountability registry shows it happened with 7:12 in the third quarter, which is when Al-Shaair sacked Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.
Defensive lineman Mario Edwards received the third fine, which was $7,833 for roughing the passer with 4:07 left in the fourth quarter. Unlike Al-Shaair, he was flagged in-game, which helped Bears kicker Cairos Santos hit a 54-yard field goal attempt to make it a 19-13 game.
The Bears, Texans, and New Orleans Saints had the most players fined in Week 2, with three apiece.
