The New England Patriots have re-structured wide receiver Mack Hollins’ contract as he gets set for an expanded role in the offense.
Entering Week 2 of the 2026 regular season, New England Patriots aren’t finished renegotiating deals just yet. Per Spotrac, New England has recently restructured wide receiver Mack Hollins’ contract to make his incentives more difficult to achieve.
Initially, Hollins’ base salary of $2.9 million was boosted to a cap hit of just under $5.0 million dollars by reception incentives at 30 catches ($300,000), 40 catches ($300,000), and 50 catches ($400,000). Now those same pay raises will come at 47, 50, and 55 receptions.
The team-friendly restructure comes on the heels of fellow Patriots’ wide receiver A.J. Brown’s placement on injured reserve. Out for at least the next four games (but per several NFL insiders, his absence will be closer to six games), Brown’s primary workload as New England’s X receiver will be filled by a collection of other players, including Hollins, Romeo Doubs, and Kyle Williams.
Hollins will likely see the lion's share of the reps in Brown’s stead, as he worked with Maye and the top offensive unit extensively late in the team’s season-opening loss at the Seattle Seahawks. Hollins finished as the Patriots’ leading receiver in the game with four catches on five targets and 51 yards. Three of his four receptions and four of his five targets came on New England’s final drive, as Maye aggressively looked to push the ball downfield to secure victory.
A big-bodied target at 6’4”, 221 pounds, Maye’s chemistry with Hollins dates back through 2025, when Hollins’ 46 catches and 65 targets ranked as the second-highest marks for Patriots’ wide receivers during the regular season — trailing only Stefon Diggs (85 catches, 102 targets). Hollins’ wide catch radius made him a dependable target in must-convert situations, and was on display under the bright lights of Super Bowl LX with a 35-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter.
More than just an efficient wide receiver catching passes downfield, New England’s variable usage of Hollins’ makes him a valuable commodity on early downs and obvious running situations, as well. Prior to Brown’s injury, Hollins was a staple in the Patriots’ rushing attack in Week 1, and was used as an insert blocker and pseudo tight end throughout 2025.
New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has seemed to have an innate ability to pull the best out of Hollins in multiple stops. Prior to his late breakout with the Patriots in 2025, Hollins and McDaniels had previously linked up with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022. That season, Hollins set career-bests with 94 targets and 690 receiving yards, played in all 17 regular season games with 16 starts, and hauled in 57 passes with an average of 12.1 yards per catch.
Hollins is playing out the 2026 season on the last year of his initial two-year deal with New England and is set to become a free agent this spring. Celebrating his 33rd birthday today, Hollins’ team-friendly contract restructure provides a glimpse of hope that the organization will be able to work out another short-term contract to keep the veteran in the room for the long-haul until an obvious replacement emerges. Considering his versatility, that may be easier said than done.
How do you think Mack Hollins’ role in the Patriots’ offense will evolve in the coming weeks? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and join the conversation on Patriots Roundtable.
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