It is early, of course, but if the current trajectory holds, the Patriots‘ iffy wide-receiver room could be a lot better than many seem to think. And on Thursday, New England got another sliver of good news, as one of the team’s key veteran additions–Mack Hollins from the Bills–is back on the field at training camp after missing the first week on the PUP list.
Hollins opened camp with the “unable to perform” group because of an undisclosed injury, but his return is welcome as he is known to be a heady veteran with a knack for making big plays. Last year with Buffalo, Hollins caught 31 passes for 378 yards, five of which went for touchdowns. He also made 25 first-down catches, and in the playoffs, logged a 34-yard touchdown against the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
Hollins has also spent time with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and had his best season with the Raiders under McDaniels in 2022, when he went for 690 yards on 57 catches.
Patriots PUP List Shrinks by 1
In the morning, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport noted that Hollins was being taken off the PUP list, and his colleague, Mike Garofalo, repeated the news on Twitter/X.
“As @RapSheet mentioned on @gmfb, #Patriots WR Mack Hollins is coming off the PUP list today. One of the team’s key free agent acquisitions is set to make his camp debut today.”
Sure enough, Hollins was on the field for Thursday’s practice, which was a walkthrough without pads.
As one observer in Foxborough noted, “Patriots walkthrough today features Mack Hollins. He’s heavily involved in his camp debut. Including a touchdown go route.”
Mack Hollins Greeted Fondly
NBC Sports Boston wrote that Hollins, always popular among teammates, was greeted warmly by star Stefon Diggs, his former teammate in Buffalo.
The site noted: “Stefon Diggs appeared to find out about Mack Hollins’ availability in real time. The star wide receiver was spotted chatting with Hollins on the practice field when he turned to a Patriots staffer and asked a question. Diggs then gave Hollins a big hug, suggesting he had just learned Hollins was activated off the PUP list.”
Patriots Receivers Impress in Camp
Hollins returns as the Patriots have gotten some promising early looks at the team’s deep receiving corps. While the group has been criticized for lacking a true No. 1 at the top of the food chain, it’s become clearer that Diggs–returning from a torn ACL–is still at least close to a No. 1.
Meanwhile, slot receiver Pop Douglas has been one of the best players in camp.
Beyond those two, the fight for roster spots among young players has been intense. Kayshon Boutte, who played well at the end of 2024, appears to have a leg up on a starting role. Last year’s two draft picks–second-rounder Ja’Lynn Polk and fourth-rounder Javon Baker–have looked good, too.
Kyle Williams, a 2025 third-rounder, has flashed very good deep ability, too.
That’s six players. Kendrick Bourne is certainly a bubble roster candidate, too, and assuming Hollins is a lock to make the team (he is), at least one of those players will be cut or traded at the end of August.
Key Patriots Free-Agent Signing Debuts at Training Camp