New England Patriots
“We’ve all been waiting for Mack.”
FOXBOROUGH — Reinforcements might be on the way for New England’s receiving corps.
Patriots wideout Mack Hollins took part in practice on Thursday for the first time since suffering an abdominal injury during New England’s primetime victory over the Ravens on Dec. 21.
Even though the veteran remains on injured reserve, his availability during practice has now opened a 21-day window for his return to the active roster.
That means that Hollins could be activated before Sunday’s AFC championship game against the Broncos, or even Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 if New England leaves Denver with a victory.
If New England wants to add Hollins on the active roster, they will need to clear a spot on the 53-man roster.
Hollins’ return would offer up a significant boost to New England’s offensive schemes on Sunday and beyond. The 6-foot-4 wideout has been a dependable target for Drake Maye this season — reeling in 46 catches for 550 yards and two touchdowns — while also proving to be a dependable blocker in the run game.
“We’ve all been waiting for Mack,” Stefon Diggs said of Hollins on Wednesday. “It’s something we talk about almost every other day. When we see Mack, everybody is happy to see Mack. Mack has that infectious energy. He approaches the game the right way. We miss him. That’s our brother. If we get him back, that’d be great. If we don’t, those guys are going to continue to have to step up.”
“I think the guys have stepped up and done a great job, but if we do get (Hollins) back, we’re all going to be excited,” Diggs added. “We’ll throw a party — not a real party.”
Hollins was initially eligible to come off of injured reserve on Wednesday, but was not cleared to practice yet. If he isn’t given the green light to play at Empower Field at Mile High, New England’s next men up at wideout will be Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III.
Beyond Hollins’ presence at practice, cornerback Carlton Davis (concussion) remained in a non-contact jersey for a second practice in a row.
Davis — who picked off CJ Stroud twice in the AFC divisional round last Sunday before going down with a concussion — remains in Phase 4 of the NFL’s five-phase concussion protocol. The next step for Davis is getting cleared for full-contact practices.
The Patriots will release a full injury report on Thursday evening.
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