Former Buffalo Bills receiver Mack Hollins received two fines for one play in the Patriots’ loss to Jacksonville, and the league announced them one day before he returns to Buffalo.
The NFL fined Hollins $34,441 combined on Saturday, Oct. 3. He was docked $11,941 for taunting and $22,500 for unnecessary roughness (use of the helmet). New England visits the Bills today (1 p.m. EDT).
Hollins caught a 9-yard pass on third-and-10 with 13:32 left in the fourth quarter on Sept. 27, reaching the Jaguars‘ 7-yard line. He lowered his helmet into safety Eric Murray, then pointed toward the ground in a “too small” gesture and shook his head. Officials flagged only the taunt. The league added the helmet fine after review.
The penalty moved the Patriots back to the 22, turning a fourth-and-1 into a fourth-and-16, and they kicked a field goal. They trailed 28-3 and lost 35-6.
Asked if the flag surprised him, Hollins said, “Not by league rule.”
Rarity of Double Fines and Hollins’ Record
“An extreme rarity in the National Football League,” The Spun wrote of Hollins’ double fine. The league does not publish a count of players fined twice for one snap.
The closest parallel is Lions safety Brian Branch in Week 1 of 2025. After he grabbed Packers tight end Tucker Kraft by the face mask, pulled off his helmet and threw it toward the Detroit sideline, Branch was fined $23,186 total: $11,593 for taunting and $11,593 for unnecessary roughness (face mask). AL.com noted Branch was the only player fined twice in that week’s release, both from the same play.
No other fine has been reported for Hollins this season. In January 2025, the NFL fined Hollins twice for taunting after Buffalo’s playoff win over Denver: $11,255 for stepping over cornerback Patrick Surtain II and $6,736 for standing over receiver Marvin Mims, totaling $17,991. In Week 11 of 2025, he was fined $20,278 for helmet contact against the Jets, though reports said it was rescinded on appeal.
Hollins, a Rockville, Md., native, walked on at North Carolina and finished with 81 catches for 1,667 yards and 20 touchdowns. The Philadelphia Eagles drafted him in the fourth round in 2017.
Bills Exit and 2025 Meetings
After stops in Philadelphia, Miami, Las Vegas and Atlanta, Hollins signed a one-year deal with Buffalo on March 14, 2024. He led the Bills with five receiving touchdowns, adding 31 catches for 378 yards in 17 games.
Buffalo signed receiver Joshua Palmer as free agency opened and moved on, citing a crowded receiver room and Hollins’ age. On March 14, 2025, he signed a two-year, $8.4 million deal with New England that included $3.5 million guaranteed. He named Josh McDaniels, tradition and Mike Vrabel as draws.
In February 2026, Hollins told The Buffalo News, “There were parts of the organization that I don’t think valued me anymore.”
In the Patriots’ 23-20 win at Buffalo on Oct. 5, 2025, Hollins started and played 35 snaps with no targets and no catches. In the Dec. 14 rematch, a 35-31 Buffalo win, he caught four of eight targets for 41 yards and fumbled once without losing it. He finished with four catches for 41 yards against Buffalo in 2025.
Ex-Bills WR Mack Hollins Returns to Buffalo After Rare Double NFL Punishment