FOXBOROUGH, Mass — Whether it's in the locker room, the practice field, or really just anywhere, Mack Hollins can be heard at all times. One of the most vocal players on the team, Hollins is a vital leader on and off the field.
And he earned high praise from many of his coaches as well as fellow teammates, all of which highlighted that nothing about Hollins changes from day to day or regardless of the circumstances.
"He's a great leader, I would say in any circumstance. One of the most unselfish players I've ever coached," offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said. "A team-first guy. You can tell that whenever anybody else has success, there's nobody in the stadium more happy for that person than Mack. And so, that's evident on every good play we
make. You see him chasing TreVeyon (Henderson) to the end zone last week and doing the O-H-I-O. He's got a million celebrations and all that. His energy is infectious. It is regardless of his role, which I think is a very unique personality trait for an NFL football player. So, big or small, he'll be ready to go. He'll know everything we have in the game plan from every position. And he's a great resource for any new or young player to lean on, just to learn how to do their job the right way."
Head coach Mike Vrabel shared similar sentiments.
"Well, I think one is just consistency. I think you know what you’re going to get from Mack every day," Vrabel expressed. "He’s in the weight room at the same time every day, he’s in the training room the same time every day. He’s a great teammate. Brings an energy, a spirit, takes a lot of reps, loves to practice. He’d be out there on a show team taking as many reps as we’d let him. But that’s just the type of person that he is. He’s got some versatility, cares about his job and what he can do to help the football team."
Hollins signed a two-year deal with the Patriots before the 2025 season, finishing his first year in New England with 46 receptions for 550 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games. However, Hollins had a quieter summer, calling into question his role for the 2026 season.
But when the Patriots lost A.J. Brown in the season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Hollins stepped up and became the team's top receiver.
"He certainly sets the tone with his work ethic," wide receivers coach Todd Downing explained. "Before you hear a word, you can see him and kind of feel his presence on the field, and then you can certainly hear him from a distance, too. He brings the energy, and he's relentless in his pursuit of trying to do things the right way, and so that makes it easy to coach everybody else. And then, he always echoes what I'm trying to get out of the guys and holds those guys accountable, whether it's the way we finish a drill or a certain detail of a play. So He's an absolute joy to coach.
"I think what helps is that he doesn't have to fake it or be more than he was," he added. "He's kind of already tht guy, and so the void of A.J.'s voice may be picked up by some of the other guys, but Mack's always been kind of the voice of the room."
Hollins's true, unselfish nature was evident when the Patriots adjusted the receiver's incentives, raising the minimum from 30 to 47 receptions for a $300,000 bonus, then, if he wants to receive another $300,000 bonus, that went from 40 to 50, followed by an additional $400,000 bonus from 50 to 55. The Boston Herald's Doug Kyed further reported that the Patriots threatened to cut Hollins if he didn't accept the new terms regarding his incentives.
But he wanted to stay and be a part of this team and this offense. And it's clear that all of his fellow receivers look up to him and value his leadership.
"Mack is vocal. His presence- he doesn't have to speak; his presence is felt," second-year receiver Kyle Williams told Patriots Wire. "I mean, it's just a dude that, his voice is easily influential. And it got to me early as a rookie. I've heard a lot about him, but you get in the locker room and share a locker room, a meeting room with this guy. You understand how special and how inspirational he is. So, it's just, he's a great guy. And then, without A.J. being out, Mack is still doing what he's doing. He didn't change. He don't shift gears. He's the same person day in and day out, and I think that's the best part about Mack."
"He's been the same way. I don't think he ever changed," DeMario Douglas added. "I think he's more vocal than anybody on the team. Even when A.J. was here, he's always been our vocal leader. I think Mack never changes."
And, of course, his best friend on the team, Efton Chism, also provided a rave review of his efforts on and off the field.
"I mean, he's a tremendous leader. I think he gets everyone to follow him, not just the receivers, but just the offense in general," Chism said. "I think he does a great job of holding everyone to the standard that we want to reach and that we want to be. So, it's cool just getting to experience that and see him do that."
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Mack Hollins never changed, even when his role with Patriots did
