New England Patriots receiver Mack Hollins took two NFL fines totaling $34,441 for one play against the Jacksonville Jaguars, days before a trip to face his previous team in Buffalo.
The league assessed $11,941 for taunting and $22,500 for unnecessary roughness involving his helmet, according to ESPN reporter Mike Reiss.
That play came with 13:32 left in the fourth quarter of New England’s 35-6 loss at EverBank Stadium on Sept. 27. The Patriots trailed 28-3 when Hollins caught a 9-yard pass on third-and-10, setting up fourth-and-1. Officials then threw a 15-yard dead-ball taunting flag, which turned fourth-and-1 into fourth-and-16. New England settled for a 40-yard field goal.
Hollins directed a minimal gesture at Jaguars safety Eric Murray, according to reporter Ari Alexander. Only the taunting call came during the game. The helmet fine arrived from the league office after a review.
Hollins still led New England with six catches for 87 yards.
Patriots’ Mack Hollins Fine History
The double fine is Hollins’ first of the 2026 season. His taunting flag was the only penalty the NFL has charged him with through Week 3.
In January 2025, he paid twice in a single game. The league fined him $11,255 for stepping over Denver cornerback Patrick Surtain II in the Buffalo Bills’ wild-card win. A second taunting fine followed for standing over returner Marvin Mims after a punt, according to Sports Illustrated. The two fines totaled $17,991.
In November 2025, the NFL fined him $20,278 for unnecessary roughness on an 8-yard catch against the New York Jets, as reported by ESPN’s Mike Reiss. No flag was thrown. Hollins appealed, and the league rescinded the fine in January.
His college record includes an ejection. Officials tossed him from North Carolina’s 2015 Russell Athletic Bowl against Baylor for a helmet-to-helmet hit, according to North Carolina’s athletic department. The targeting call carried over, and he sat out the first half of the 2016 opener against Georgia.
Mack Hollins’ Career Path to the New England Patriots
Hollins, 33, was born Sept. 16, 1993, in Rockville, Md. He attended Wootton High School, spent a postgraduate year at Fork Union Military Academy and walked on at North Carolina in 2012.
He captained special teams for four straight seasons and led the NCAA with a 24.8-yard receiving average as a junior. He finished with 81 catches, 1,667 yards and 20 touchdowns, then graduated with a degree in exercise and sport science.
The Philadelphia Eagles took him 118th overall in 2017, and he won a Super Bowl ring as a rookie. Stops followed with the Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons and Bills before he signed with New England in 2025.
He arrives in Buffalo with 220 career receptions for 2,775 yards and 17 touchdowns in 130 games. His best season came in 2022 with Las Vegas, when he posted 57 catches for 690 yards and four touchdowns. He caught five touchdowns for Buffalo in 2024.
In 2025, he logged 46 catches for 550 yards and two scores for New England. Through three games in 2026, he has 12 catches for 156 yards.
Patriots Veteran WR Hit With 2 NFL Punishments For Same Week 3 Play