Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins got his contract restructured to "save on cap space." Now, some of his bonuses and incentives feel out of reach, or are they?
Last week, the New England Patriots announced they would restructure veteran wide receiver Mack Hollins' contract, making his bonuses and incentives harder to reach in 2026.
To the press, Hollins has kept things tight-lipped, saying the new deal is an "unfortunate side of the business." Hollins also said that if he didn't take the deal, he could potentially be cut by the team.
Despite the new structure of his 2026 contract, Hollins seems happy to stay with the team and views these incentives as goals to pursue throughout the season.
The Facts:
Hollins is a ten-year veteran in the NFL who has bounced around the league. He's never been a WR1 but has always been reliable on the field.
Hollins originally had:
- $300k at 30 catches
- $300k at 40 catches
- $400k at 50 catches
The New Deal
- $300k at 47 catches
- $300k at 50 catches
- $400k at 55 catches
In 2025, Hollins had 46 catches for 550 yards and two touchdowns. Hollins could make a run at the first tier of bonuses, but based on how things are playing out right now for him as a WR3 or even WR4, that may be tough.
The Patriots have also stated that this was a maneuver used to save on cap space, but by doing that, they moved the goalposts, so to speak, on one of their quarterback's most reliable receivers.
Business is Business, but Hollins Bears Virtually All the Risk
Here's the thing: the Patriots are fair in wanting to make room for the 2027 salary cap; in the end, it's what Hollins said: it's the unfortunate side of the business. However, why do this to a guy you made it known publicly you wanted to keep after he had trade interest this offseason?
Hollins incentives were once LTBE (likely to be earned), and now, by moving the benchmarks higher, those incentives are reclassified as "not likely to be earned" (NLTBE). If he caught 46 passes again this season, he would have cleared the original deal; under the new one, no real change.
That's a pretty dramatic difference for a player whose production level was already established.
However, the flip side to this coin is that Hollins just could put his head down and get to work if he wants to get his payday. He needs 41 more catches over the next 15 games to hit the first benchmark. That's 2.73 per game based on the math.
Hollins already averages three catches per game over the past two weeks, and if Drake Maye's confidence starts to tick up, that number could rise.
If Hollins earns every penny of these incentives, the Patriots will have to explain why they felt the need to make a productive veteran fight this hard for money he was already on pace to earn.
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