When the Patriots announced they had signed free-agent wide receiver Mack Hollins, there wasn't much excitement from fans or the national media. While he had been a solid option for quarterbacks throughout his career, as he spent time with the Bills, Falcons, and Raiders in recent years, he wasn't the flashiest name or most productive weapon the team could have signed.
But much of that has changed since he took the field with Drake Maye, and before suffering an abdominal injury against the Ravens in Week 16, he recorded the second- most receiving yards and catch percentage of his career.
He quickly became an integral part of what the offense was trying to accomplish, especially regarding big plays, so he will inevitably be missed while he's on injured reserve. But it's not just because of what he can do for the team on the field, as Mike Vrabel made clear after Sunday's win.
Mack Hollins has proven to be a valuable part of the Patriots' roster
Because there was some confusion surrounding the Patriots' decision to place Hollins on injured reserve right before the season ends, Vrabel was prompted with questions about his status and details regarding his injury.
In his response, the head coach gushed about how important Hollins has become to the team, particularly his teammates, and said he will be with them throughout his IR stint and, hopefully, be back on the field if they make the AFC Championship game.
“Mack (Hollins) means a lot to this football team. His personality, his spirit, I’ve talked about that a bunch and he wanted to travel with us and be here and support and I know that he’s happy for Chiz (Efton Chism III), just because those two have been really close since the time that Chiz got here.
I think it’s been (a) fun mentorship and we’ll need that from Mack. We’ll need him to make contributions off the field as we move forward.”
That's quite an indictment of just how important an under-the-radar player has been for this team this year, and certainly dispels any suggestion that the Patriots should move on from him already.
Hollins has clearly made an impression on his teammates on and off the field, and it will be important for him to be around as they finish the season and get into the playoffs. His experience and mentorship will go a long way for such a young team with some of the toughest games ahead, and that will be needed over the next few weeks.