This former North Carolina Tar Heels star has received some bad news at the worst possible time.
Former North Carolina Tar Heels star Mack Hollins has certainly been enjoying a fun season with the New England Patriots, but things just took a terrible twist.
The Patriots revealed on Saturday that Hollins had been placed on injured reserve due to an abdominal injury, right before New England's playoff run.
Hollins signed a two-year, $8.4 million contract with the Pats in free agency back in March and was in the process of posting one of the best years of his NFL career, having caught 46 passes for 550 yards and a couple of touchdowns in 15 games.
The UNC product stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 221 pounds, so he presented quarterback Drake Maye — another North Carolina alum — with a big target in crucial situations.
Hollins caught 70.8 percent of his targets in 2025, the most since he logged a 72.7 percent effectiveness rate on much less volume during his rookie campaign in 2017.
The Patriots signed Hollins with the hope that he would significantly bolster what had previously been a barren receiving corps, and he definitely did just that this season.
New England Patriots receive Mack Hollins. Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images.But now, Hollins' campaign has unfortunately come to an end.
The 32-year-old spent four seasons at Chapel Hill between 2013 and 2016, with his most productive year coming in 2015 when he hauled in 30 receptions for 745 yards and eight scores. He averaged a robust 24.8 yards per catch, which led the country.
Hollins was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft and has bounced around the league ever since, playing for six different teams.
In terms of volume, Hollins' best campaign to date came with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022, when he shared 57 balls for 690 yards while reaching the end zone four times.
The Patriots will certainly miss Hollins and may now have to rely more heavily on rookie wide receiver Kyle Williams, who had a breakout game of sorts with three grabs for 46 yards and a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens last week.
Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas comprise New England's top three receivers, so the Pats still have depth at the position, but there is no doubt that Hollins will be dearly missed.