Pats Pulpit
Hollins has three receptions escalators in his new contract.
After signing one-year contracts at each of his last four stops in the NFL, Mack Hollins was given a two-year deal by the New England Patriots earlier this offseason. A close look at the structure of his $8.4 million pact, however, reveals that the reality of it looks different: it is front-loaded, with Hollins making it to Year 2 not a guarantee.
As a consequence, the veteran wide receiver has a lot riding on his performance in 2025 — in more ways than one. Living up to or exceeding the team’s expectations might not just allow him to stay put in 2026, it also would result in a sizable pay increase.
Hollins’ contract incentives, as reported by salary cap expert Miguel Benzan, illustrate this.
2025: Up to $1M
$300,000: 30 receptions
$300,000: 40 receptions
$400,000: 50 receptions
2026: Up to $1M
$300,000: 30 receptions
$300,000: 40 receptions
$400,000: 50 receptions
Through the receptions escalators built into both seasons of his deal, Hollins can earn himself an extra $2 million or a 23.8 percent increase from the base value of the deal. Reaching those goals is not entirely unlikely either.
For starters, the first step — 30 receptions in 2025 worth $300,000 — has already been classified as likely to be earned for salary cap purposes. While that does not mean he will automatically get that money, it shows that hitting the benchmark is entirely within the capabilities of a player who had 31 catches for 378 yards and 5 touchdowns with the Buffalo Bills last season.
The same is true for the other incentives as well, even though his career history suggests otherwise. Only once in eight NFL seasons has Hollins caught 40-plus passes, after all.
That season, however, happened in a familiar scheme. In 2022, when he was playing under then-Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels, Hollins caught a career-best 57 passes for 690 yards and 4 TDs. With McDaniels back in New England to serve as offensive coordinator, the stage might be set for a repeat performance.
Hollins being able to return to this peak of his would be good news for all involved, looking both at 2025 and 2026.
