Patriots Place Mack Hollins, Reggie Gilliam On IR

Hollins, who is in his second season with the Patriots, leads the team in catches (15) and receiving yards (209). He chipped in three grabs for 53 yards in a 29-26 win last week over the AFC East rival Bills, one of his former teams. But Hollins left in the third quarter with a calf injury and will not return until at least Week 9.

This will go down as the second straight injury-shortened year for Hollins, who went on IR with an abdominal problem during the Pats’ AFC title-winning campaign in 2025. He played in 13 games and hauled in 46 passes for 550 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Although he was a quality role player last year, New England considered releasing Hollins over the summer. However, the 33-year-old stuck around after agreeing to adjust his contract.

Hollins is now the second key Patriots receiver on IR, joining No. 1 wideout A.J. Brown. The Pats placed Brown, their prized offseason pickup, on the shelf after he went down with a high ankle sprain in their Week 1 loss to the Seahawks. Brown is eligible to return in Week 6, though it is unclear if he will be ready by then. Right now, as the 2-2 Patriots prepare to face the 3-1 Raiders on Sunday, they are down to Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams and Week 4 hero Efton Chism at receiver. Head coach Mike Vrabel has left the door open for a wideout addition, which could be something to watch for ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline.

Gilliam, another ex-Bill, inked a three-year, $10.8MM pact with Patriots when free agency opened in March. While that’s a good chunk of change for a fullback, Gilliam wasn’t much of a factor before suffering knee and ankle injuries. He has played 97 snaps (58 on offense, 39 on special teams) and caught one pass for 4 yards.

In addition to the Hollins and Gilliam moves, the Patriots activated defensive back/special-teamer Brenden Schooler from the reserve/NFI list, per Mike Reiss of ESPN. They also signed cornerback Kindle Vildor from their practice squad and elevated linebacker K.J. Britt and safety Elliott Davison.