Patriots Rework Mack Hollins' Contract: What Does It Actually Mean?

Mack Hollins and the New England Patriots have renegotiated the wide receiver's contract incentive package for 2026, mostly under the cover of darkness.

According to Spotrac, the Patriots made the numbers Hollins needs to hit to unlock his incentives harder to reach on Sept. 8. This move shifts the money from this year's salary cap into next season's, if Hollins is able to reach these numbers.

Originally, Hollins was scheduled to earn $300,000 for 30 receptions. That incentive has since ben increased to 47 receptions. Same goes for 40 receptions, which has been bumped to 50.

Hollins was supposed to earn $400,000 if he caught 50 passes. That will be unlocked now if he reaches 55 receptions. Last season, the wideout caught 46 passes in his first season with the Patriots — which earned him $600,000 in incentives.

If Hollins reaches all these numbers, he'll earn a total of $1 million. This means the Patriots were able to designate the incentives as "Not Likely To Be Earned" (they were originally "Likely To Be Earned).

Why Would Patriots Do This?

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins (13) against the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Because these changes were made ahead of the regular season, these were not made because of A.J. Brown's ankle injury suffered in Week 1. This contract would have been worked out right after roster cut, and could have been used as a leverage strategy by New England. According to ProFootballTalk, Hollins' 2026 $2.9 million base salary could have been used as a guaranteed termination pay had he been released prior to Week 1's kickoff.

But other reports, including one from SI's Albert Breer, mentioned how the Patriots didn't want to trade Hollins away. He'll ultimately remain with the Patriots for 2026, where he can start trying to reach those reception totals. It's a team-friendly deal, as the Patriots could have vested last year's $600,000 into a signing bonus.

Instead, they decided for this — a tougher rung to reach for Hollins.

In Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, Hollins caught four passes. He got his most reps after Brown went down in the third quarter with what turned into a high-ankle sprain. Brown — the Patriots' marquee addition this offseason — was subsequently placed on injured reserve and will miss at least the next four games.

That should open the door for Hollins to inch closer to those new incentive numbers. He'll now be penciled into a starting role (or at least a top-three spot on the wideout depth chart) heading into Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last year against the Steelers, Hollins caught four passes for 27 yards.

Without Brown, the Patriots wide receiver room consists of Hollins, Romeo Doubs, Kyle Williams, DeMario Douglas and Efton Chism III. They also have Kyle Dixon, Cameron Dorner and Chandler Brayboy on the practice squad.

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