The New England Patriots are about to get some much-needed help for their absolutely brutal wide receiver situation. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport dropped the news on Wednesday: Mack Hollins is set to return to practice. This is huge, seriously. The man has been on injured reserve with a calf injury, missing the last four games, and his absence has been felt hard.
Mack Hollins Is Back, And It’s More Than Just Numbers
Hollins hitting practice officially opens up a 21-day window for him to be activated, but get this, he could even be back on the field as soon as Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. Before he went down with that calf issue, Hollins was pulling in a solid 15 catches for 209 yards over four games. But honestly, his impact goes way beyond those stats. This guy, at 33 years old, is a phenomenal blocker on running plays. Think about how many times a critical run springs open because a receiver is getting dirty in the trenches. That’s Hollins. Plus, he’s a total steady veteran presence in that locker room, and sometimes, especially with a team struggling like New England, that kind of leadership is invaluable.
A Receiving Corps That Has Totally Collapsed
Let’s be real, the Patriots’ wide receiver production this season has been a mess. It’s been a revolving door of injuries and departures. They brought in A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs this offseason, big names, right? Both have missed significant time already due to injuries. And before that, they just flat-out parted ways with Stefon Diggs, who led the team in receiving yards last season, and Kayshon Boutte, who was their touchdown leader. Seriously, that’s a lot of talent walking out the door or sitting on the sidelines. Last week, their receiving room had dwindled down to just DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism III. That’s not exactly a murderer’s row of pass-catchers, is it?
This return couldn’t come at a better time for the Patriots. They are heading into a brutal stretch of their schedule. They’ve got the Packers at Gillette Stadium this Sunday, which is always a tough matchup. Then, they’re jetting off to Munich for an international showdown against the Detroit Lions. Hollins immediately bolsters that receiver room, bringing a much-needed veteran presence and a guy who can actually make plays, both with the ball and without it. They’re gonna need every bit of that if they want to get through this next few weeks in one piece.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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