Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
Mack Hollins fell just short of a stat worth $400K in incentives. The Patriots paid it anyway.
Hollins fell four catches short of the 50 he needed to reach the incentive after missing the final two regular-season games with an injury.
Mack Hollins came close to reaching the 50-catch mark that had a $400,000 incentive attached to it in his contract with the Patriots.
He had 46 catches last season, but a lacerated spleen injury sidelined him for the final two games of the regular season and the Divisional round of the playoffs. He returned to action for the AFC Championship game and the Super Bowl.
This week, during contract negotiations, the Patriots decided to pay Hollins the money despite the fact that he did not reach the benchmark.
“The Patriots honored the incentive anyway,” NFL Media’s Tom Pellisero wrote on X. “Adding a $400,000 signing bonus to Hollins’ contract.”
Advertisement:
Hollins led the Patriots in receiving yards during the AFC Championship win against Denver and the Super Bowl loss against Seattle. His touchdown against the Seahawks was one of two that the Patriots scored in the 29-13 loss.
The 32-year-old receiver enjoyed his most productive season since 2022. He finished the regular-season with 46 catches, 550 yards, and a pair of touchdowns. At 6-foot-4, 221-pounds, his size also made him useful as a blocker.
His professionalism, football smarts, and leadership skills are among the qualities that Patriots coach Mike Vrabel has highlighted in the past.
“Mack brings a great spirit to work every day. He’s a great teammate,” Vrabel said in December. “I actually showed a clip from the first game on a kickoff coverage, and Mack’s over there excited, not going in the game, but he’s into it.”
Advertisement:
“Somebody made a tackle and Mack’s the first one cheering on the sidelines, and those are the little things that mean a lot, I think, to me. So, again, we ask him to do a lot of different things, and again, I think just the spirit that he brings to work and the teammate that he is.”
Last season was Hollins’s first with the Patriots. Previously, he had stints with five other teams: The Eagles, Dolphins, Raiders, Falcons, and Bills. The Patriots are his fifth stop in five years.
Hollins is under contract for next season. He’s set to earn a base salary of $4.3 million with another million possibly on the table with incentives, according to Spotrac. He’ll be a free agent in 2027.
Be civil. Be kind.
Read our full community guidelines.To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address