Patriots fans knew their team would be extremely shorthanded entering Week 17 against the New York Jets. Head coach Mike Vrabel had already ruled out seven players on Friday who typically play critical roles on both sides of the ball.
About 24 hours later, the New England Patriots’ injury issues went from troubling to potentially catastrophic.
The team announced Saturday that Mack Hollins, the team’s third-leading receiver behind Stefon Diggs and tight end Hunter Henry, is heading for injured reserve. With only two games remaining in the regular season, the news means Hollins, who’s been dealing with an abdomen injury, will miss significant playoff time.
WR Mack Hollins (abdomen) has been placed on injured reserve, the Patriots announce.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 27, 2025
Players placed on injured reserve are required to miss a minimum of four games — not weeks. That means, if the Patriots have a game on wild-card weekend, Hollins will be out at least until the AFC Championship Game.
The brutal twist? If New England can secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed and first-round bye, which is still on the table, Hollins wouldn’t be eligible to be activated off IR until the Super Bowl.
It just goes to show how serious Hollins’ injury is, and it’s going to force the Patriots to adjust on offense when their win-or-go-home games arrive in January.
Mack Hollins’ injury could expose the depth issues Patriots fans have feared all along
No Patriots fan expected to read this sentence back in August, but: Losing Mack Hollins is a brutal blow for quarterback Drake Maye and this Patriots offense.
Hollins has filled a specific role as, really, the only big-bodied receiver the Patriots have. He’s helped open things up for Maye over the middle of the field with his ability to not only high-point contested throws, but work back to the football for Maye to find him for key conversions.
He's also the Patriots' most utilized wide receiver in terms of total snaps, per Pro Football Focus, due to his work in the running game, and has been lauded by Vrabel all season for bringing energy and leadership to their young team.
Most concerning right now for the Patriots? The team doesn’t currently have another player on the roster to fill the 6-foot-4 Hollins’ role. Diggs is the next tallest wide receiver on the roster, but he’s been doing most of his damage when lined up in the slot this year. Kyle Williams, Pop Douglas and even Efton Chism could see more opportunities going forward, but none of those players can mimic what Hollins was doing for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
Vrabel’s pressed all the right buttons this year, but injuries have now become a major cause for concern. The team’s already hoping to get Will Campbell and Milton Williams back at full capacity for the playoffs, but short of finding capable hands off another team’s practice squad in the coming weeks, New England will be forced to adjust in a big way on offense going forward.