The New England Patriots will head into their matchup against the Chargers having scored 34.4 PPG in their last five matchups. Their offense has been on fire lately and is one of the best in the league all year, ranking second in PPG.
Still, the injury bug has hit the receiver room over the past few weeks. In Week 17 against the Jets, Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins missed the game with injuries, while Pop Douglas was questionable going into the matchup. This led to rookies Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III playing career-high snap shares of 85% and 62%, respectively.
The 42-point offensive explosion showed that New England could sustain success without a pair of their top receivers, but with Mack Hollins now on IR, game plans could change. The Patriots will face a Chargers defense that is far better than the Jets', and they'll need all the depth they can get.
Currently, Stefon Diggs, Boutte, Douglas, Williams, and Chism are rostered. John Jiles and Jeremiah Webb are stashed on the practice squad from preseason, though neither has made an appearance this year.
Brandon Smith, a second-year player from Iowa, is also on the practice squad. Despite having some depth in Hollins' absence, New England may look to the outside to provide additional stability.
Dymere Miller could offer unique speed to New England's receiving corps
Dymere Miller, a 24-year-old rookie out of Rutgers, was brought in for a tryout on Tuesday ahead of New England's playoff game against the Chargers. The former Scarlet Knight spent the preseason with the Jets, splitting his time between the slot and as an outside receiver. He had one catch for 24 yards on just two targets. He also returned two kicks.
Miller's collegiate career was far more impressive than his preseason numbers, however. A dynamic athlete with 4.32 speed, he spent four seasons at Monmouth before transferring to Rutgers. His 90 catches for 1,298 yards during his final season with the Hawks were both school records, and his 333-yard game against New Hampshire was the most in a game in school history.
During his single year in the Big 10, Miller more than held his own. He had 57 catches for 731 yards and four touchdowns, spending 96% of his time in the slot. 43 of his catches resulted in first downs.
Cole Burgess is another wide receiver option for New England
25-year-old Cole Burgess was also brought in for a workout after spending his collegiate career with SUNY Cortland, where he won the DIII National Championship in 2023 after a near 1,400-yard season.
Burgess is bigger, standing at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds. He spent the entire 2024 season on the Bengals' practice squad. In two preseasons with the Bengals, he's played 113 snaps and has five catches for 66 yards. He's played the majority of his snaps in both preseasons on the outside.
Whether it's Miller or Burgess, it seems New England is in the market to add another receiver to the practice squad as further insurance for Mack Hollins. While it seems unlikely they'd get any game action this year, it also could be an early move to add further depth to the offseason depth chart.
Neither was signed immediately following their workouts, but Dymere Miller and Cole Burgess are names to watch over the next few weeks.