The injury bug has finally caught up to the Patriots this season, and as they're about to take on the Jets in their final road game of 2025, they added another player to injured reserve that could become costly in the postseason.
Wide receiver Mack Hollins, who signed a 2-year contract this past offseason, got injured at the end of last week's clash with the Ravens and was put on IR on Saturday with an abdominal injury. That means he will have to miss at least four games before returning to the team, which was concerning, given the playoffs are just two weeks away.
The Patriots are still in contention for the No. 1 seed, but will need to beat the Jets and, likely, the Dolphins next week to keep that alive. The Broncos, on the other hand, will need to fall to the Chargers in Week 18 to move the Patriots up, and there's a lot of pessimism about that happening.
If they do lose, however, the first-round bye puts a wrinkle in Hollins' return date. Or does it?
The Patriots get the best news possible about Mack Hollins' return from IR
As noted by Patriots.com writer Evan Lazar, the postseason rules are different for players returning from IR: bye weeks count toward the four games that need to be missed.
So Hollins would be eligible to return in the AFC Championship, no matter whether the Patriots are the No. 1 or No. 2 seed, which is great news for their offense, as he has been a boost in making big plays happen throughout the year.
Got some clarification on Mack Hollins's IR stint. If the #Patriots get a first-round bye, the bye week would count toward his four-game minimum absence. The rule is different for the playoffs.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) December 28, 2025
Hollins could return for the AFC Championship Game, with or without the bye. https://t.co/d3WfoEm1G5
That's huge news for a young offense that will need all the help they can get to go on a deep postseason run this year.
Hollins' experience as a veteran and in the playoffs will be crucial in the biggest games of Drake Maye's career, so the fact that he can come back a lot sooner than expected is significant.
He's already on the road with the team for Sunday's matchup with the Jets, so he's sticking around in support of his teammates, and that will be more crucial while he's resting up for a hopeful return.