The writing was on the wall, and on Saturday the New England Patriots made it official. Mack Hollins has returned to the team’s 53-man roster after spending the previous four weeks on its injured reserve list; the veteran wide receiver was sent there after sustaining a calf injury in Week 4 versus the Buffalo Bills.
Let’s assess what Hollins’ activation means for the Patriots ahead of their Week 9 contest versus the Green Bay Packers.
Better depth
Despite returning to practice earlier this week to open his 21-day
window to return from injured reserve, Hollins initially remained on the list. While this is standard procedure — teams want to take a look at players at practice first before making any decisions regarding activation — it did leave the Patriots potentially three top-level wide receivers short heading into the weekend.
Romeo Doubs remains on IR with a shoulder injury, while A.J. Brown was ruled out for a second straight game due to a knee issue. Had Hollins missed Sunday’s game as well, Drake Maye’s supporting cast would again have looked suspect, particularly considering running back TreVeyon Henderson’s medical status and tight end Hunter Henry being questionable for the contest as well.
Hollins cannot patch all of those holes by himself, but having him available does upgrade New England’s overall defensive depth.
Roster shakeup
With Hollins back on the 53-man team, the Patriots now have five wide receivers rostered. In addition, their practice squad features three wideouts — one of whom, Ryan Miller, was elevated to the game day roster against the Miami Dolphins last week.
53-man roster (5): A.J. Brown (1), Mack Hollins (13), DeMario Douglas (3), Kyle Williams (18 | KR), Efton Chism III (86)
Practice squad: Kyle Dixon (83), Chandler Brayboy (81), Ryan Miller (11)
Injured reserve: Romeo Doubs (87)
On paper, the Patriots are nearing full strength at the position again. That is particularly true given that Doubs will be eligible to come off IR himself after New England’s trip to Germany next week. The expectation is that he too will rejoin the active roster sooner rather than later, giving the club a full complement of wideouts again.
That said, A.J. Brown’s status remains a question mark. While the team is optimistic that he will return before the end of the month, his participation in the upcoming international game against the Detroit Lions is uncertain.
Trickle-down effect
After Hollins exited the game against the Bills, one player in particular took on a bigger role: second-year man Efton Chism. A fringe game-day contributor since joining the team as a rookie free agent in 2025, Chism was on the field for 72.4% of offensive snaps during Hollins’ four-game absence. He caught 11 passes for 110 yards along the way (after already hauling in two passes, including the game-winning touchdown, down the stretch in Buffalo).
While Chism’s production was solid, it would not be a surprise to see Hollins’ return seriously eat into his playing time share. More than any other player, he might feel the trickle-down effect of the activation.
Leadership impact
Hollins has been a solid contributor on the field so far this season, playing 63% of offensive snaps and catching 15 passes for 209 yards before going to injured reserve. However, his impact goes beyond his statistics: he is a well-respected voice in the locker room and tone-setter both on and off the field, in the pass and the run game. Getting him back especially under the current circumstances, is a positive development for New England beyond just his projected role and abilities as a pass catcher.
Full roster
The Patriots entered the weekend with 52 players on their active roster, meaning that activating Hollins now put the team at a full 53 again. This also means that a follow-up will be necessary in case any other additions are planned, either ahead of the upcoming NFL trade deadline or if fellow IR-return candidate Greg Van Roten — whose 21-day window also opened this week — will be ready to rejoin the active team.
