Patriots set to welcome back WR Mack Hollins from IR for AFC title game

New England Patriots

Hollins has missed the last four games due to an abdominal injury.

By Conor Roche

January 24, 2026 | 4:05 PM

2 minutes to read

The Patriots are getting a key contributor to their offense back for Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against the Broncos.

Wide receiver Mack Hollins has been activated from injured reserve after missing the Patriots’ last four games due to an abdominal injury, the team announced Saturday. Hollins returned to practice on Thursday, opening his window to return before he was deemed questionable to play in Sunday’s game on Friday.

Patriots running back Terrell Jennings (concussion protocol) and defensive tackle Joshua Farmer (hamstring) will remain on injured reserve, the team announced earlier in the day. Running back D’Ernest Johnson and defensive end Leonard Taylor III will be elevated from the practice squad, while defensive tackle Eric Gregory will be placed on injured reserve to make room for Hollins.

Hollins was one of the Patriots’ top receivers during the regular season. He was fourth on the team in receiving yards (550) in the regular season, and his number of receptions for first downs (28) was the third-best mark on the team. Hollins was also third on the team in receptions (46), adding two receiving touchdowns.

Hollins’s blocking ability has also been key to the Patriots’ success on offense this season. With his 6-foot-4 frame, Hollins has allowed the Patriots to play with advantageous personnel packages on run downs.

While the Patriots haven’t necessarily needed Hollins so far in the playoffs, his return is certainly welcomed news as Drake Maye hasn’t been as prolific throwing the ball this postseason. Maye has completed 58.9 percent of his passes for 447 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions, although one of those interceptions came on a Hail Mary attempt. Maye has also lost three fumbles this postseason.

The Patriots’ run game hasn’t been too great in the playoffs, either. They’ve rushed for 251 yards on just 4.1 yards per carry. So, Hollins’s presence could be a boost there, too.

Of course, the Patriots played two of the league’s top defenses in the Chargers and Texans in their first two playoff games. But they’ll face the team that was second in total defense this season, as the Broncos also have one of the league’s top defensive units.

With Hollins coming back, undrafted rookie free agent Efton Chism would seemingly be the odd man out of the Patriots’ wide receivers rotation. Chism went from being a healthy scratch to playing over a dozen offensive snaps per game over the last four weeks with Hollins out.

The Patriots will also have cornerback Carlton Davis available for Sunday’s game. His status improved from questionable to available after he cleared the league’s concussion protocol on Friday.

Edge rusher Harold Landry III is the only player on the Patriots’ active roster who’ll miss Sunday’s game. Landry, who led the team in sacks during the regular season, played relatively limited snaps in recent weeks as he’s battled a knee injury.