Patriots' injury pileup creates Week 17 opening for fan-favorite rookie

Just two days before their Week 17 clash, New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel announced wide receivers Kayshon Boutte (concussion) and Mack Hollins (abdomen) will be out for Sunday's game against the New York Jets. Vrabel also designated their fellow wideout DeMario Douglas (hamstring) as questionable for the contest.

With injuries mounting at the position, the team may have to turn to undrafted rookie pass catcher Efton Chism III, a player who has seen zero regular season targets so far this year.

With the news of Hollins being placed on injured reserve on Saturday, Chism could earn an even bigger role in the final weeks of the season and even into the playoffs.

How Efton Chism III went from UDFA to preseason MVP

Chism played college football at Eastern Washington, posting career totals of 346 catches for 3,852 yards and 37 touchdowns over 53 games.

During his senior campaign, the 2024 AP All-American First Team member set the school's single-season receptions record, previously held by Super Bowl LVI MVP Cooper Kupp, on a screen pass he took 67 yards for a score.

Despite his eye-popping collegiate production, Chism went unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft amid concerns about his size (5'10", 195-lbs) and the level of competition increase he'd be facing coming into the pros from an FCS school.

However, following a personal phone call from Vrabel, which helped convince Chism to sign with New England after the draft, he quickly started turning heads in training camp.

Chism caught the attention of the Patriots' coaching staff with his quickness and sharp route-running, traits that had six other NFL teams interested enough during the pre-draft process to bring him in for a visit.

During the preseason, he put those attributes on display even further, racking up 12 receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns, all team-highs, even though Chism only played in two of the three exhibition contests.

His quick hands and elusiveness as a ball carrier even had one former NFL player comparing him to previous undersized Patriot receivers who defied expectations, Julian Edelman and Wes Welker.

Strong preseason showing hasn't translated to much regular season usage for Chism

Chism's performance in the preseason was enough to earn him a spot on the Patriots' 53-man roster, something he was initially viewed as a long shot to achieve.

However, with the other receivers ahead of him on the team's depth chart, Stefon Diggs, Boutte, Hollins, Douglas, and Kyle Williams, all having solid campaigns, the opportunities for Chism to see the field during the regular season have been limited.

He was inactive for New England's first five games of the season, and when Chism has gotten into the game, it's largely been on special teams, as he's totaled just 25 offensive snaps. As a returner, Chism has brought back 16 kickoffs for 383 yards and a long of 31.

His most productive game of the year to date came in his NFL debut during Week 6 against the New Orleans Saints, when he returned 5 kicks for 129 yards and a long of 28.

Week 17 brings opportunity for Chism's biggest game of the season

As New England's depth at the receiver position is currently thin due to those aforementioned injuries, Vrabel noted on Friday that Chism will be in line for more playing time during the Patriots' upcoming matchup against the Jets this Sunday.

"It looks by all accounts that [Chism will] get opportunities ... You’d be hard pressed to find players that work harder than him."

Mike Vrabel

With the coaching staff behind him and New England's playoff seeding on the line, Week 17 is the biggest chance Chism has seen so far in his young career to prove to the scouts and executives around the league why they should have drafted him last April.