New England Patriots
New England — especially Drake Maye — will be happy to have Hollins back on the field Sunday.
Wide receiver Mack Hollins’s return will re-add nine years of NFL experience to an inexperienced WR room. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye will have a welcome addition to his receiving corps this weekend.
The team activated wide receiver Mack Hollins from injured reserve Saturday, one day before hosting the Green Bay Packers in Week 9. He spent the minimum of four games sidelined while on IR before returning to practice on Wednesday.
Hollins landed on IR on Oct. 10 due to a calf injury he sustained in Week 4 against the Buffalo Bills. It looked to be a non-contact injury, and he quickly exited the game and did not return.
After losing fellow WR A.J. Brown to IR due to a high-ankle sprain, the loss of Hollins three games later was expected to be a massive one. Hollins, a nine-year NFL veteran, had become Maye’s go-to WR in lieu of Brown.
Through four games, Hollins has secured 15 catches on 20 targets for 309 yards. He has yet to record a touchdown, but his reliability and resume in a young WR room were much needed.
Efton Chism, DeMario Douglas, and Kyle Williams have stepped up significantly since Hollins was sidelined. Romeo Doubs grew more trustworthy before he was also placed on IR on Oct. 19. The former three players have just eight combined years of NFL tenure compared to Hollins’s nine, a testament to the thin WR corps New England has had to work with in recent weeks.
Maye sounded excited to have Hollins back for game day when asked about his potential return earlier this week.
“I think anytime that you get a guy like Mack, who is a veteran in this league, a classic Tar Heel who does things the right way, he’s smart and he’s easy to throw to,” Maye said on Wednesday. He and Hollins both hail from the University of North Carolina. “He does a lot of things the right way. It’s comforting definitely having No. 13 out there.”
Also earlier this week, Maye referred to veteran tight end Hunter Henry as a “security blanket.” It’d be appropriate to call Hollins an additional layer of security for Maye, especially with Henry being listed as questionable to play this weekend. Hollins is questionable, too, but New England activating him from IR all but guarantees he’ll be available come kickoff.
Maye praised Hollins’s lighthearted nature, a trait he said is important for all 53 players to be around throughout a grueling season.
“He just brings energy. I think the guys feed off it, and it’s a good reminder for me,” Maye said. “We play a really serious game with pressure. They ask a lot out of us, week in and week out in this sport, in this league. It’s a reminder to also have fun with the guys around.
“I think he’s a constant reminder for these young guys to take it seriously, but don’t take it too harshly, and realize that we’re playing a kids game and just happen to be at the highest level. So, just go out there and be yourself. I think that’s what Mack Hollins is.”
The Patriots, albeit 5-3, will need an all-hands-on-deck mentality against the 5-3 Packers. Even without All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons, Green Bay’s defense is one of the top units in the league. The return of Hollins can only help New England in its quest for a sixth victory midway through the season.
Kaley Brown
Kaley Brown is a sports producer who covers breaking and trending news about the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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