Patriots Receive Massive Boost

Patriots Receive Encouraging Update Ahead of AFC Championship Clash

One silver lining to the rash of injuries that hit the Patriots late in the season was the timing: many players had a chance to recover either just before the playoffs or during the postseason itself. Several key contributors on both offense and defense went down late in the 2025 campaign, but they’ve since returned and played roles in New England’s first two playoff victories en route to the AFC Championship Game.

One notable absence remains, though. Veteran wide receiver Mack Hollins, sidelined for more than a month with an abdominal injury, has yet to return to game action. His status for Sunday’s matchup against the Broncos in Denver is still up in the air. Asked whether Hollins would be a full participant in Thursday’s practice, head coach Mike Vrabel responded plainly: “That won’t happen today, no.”

Still, Hollins was present on the field in a limited role Thursday, keeping the door open for a possible return this week.

Mack Hollins’ Steady Impact

While Hollins didn’t post flashy statistics in 2025, he delivered exactly what the Patriots were looking for: professionalism, leadership, and consistency. Those traits helped reshape a locker room that had endured back-to-back 4–13 seasons in 2023 and 2024. At 6-foot-4, Hollins became a dependable, savvy target for quarterback Drake Maye in key moments, finishing the season with 46 receptions for 550 yards across 15 games.

A respected presence in the locker room, Hollins has playoff pedigree as well, having appeared in conference championship games with the Eagles in 2017 and with the Bills last season.

Former teammate Stefon Diggs made it clear how much Hollins’ return would mean to the team.

“We’ve all been waiting for Mack,” Diggs said. “We talk about it almost every other day. When we see him, everybody lights up. He’s got that contagious energy and does everything the right way. We miss him. That’s our brother. If he comes back, that’d be huge. If not, the other guys will keep stepping up.

“They’ve done a great job already, but if we do get him back, we’ll all be pumped. We’ll throw a party — not a real party.”

Patriots Preparing for Jarrett Stidham

New England heads into Denver as the favorite, largely due to Broncos quarterback Bo Nix suffering an ankle injury in last week’s divisional-round win over the Bills. That injury will force Denver to start backup Jarrett Stidham, who hasn’t opened a game since the final two contests of the 2023 season.

That uncertainty presents its own challenge. The Patriots have limited recent film on Stidham, whose arm strength and experience make him a potential wildcard.

Vrabel acknowledged the task ahead: “He’s got about 400 regular-season snaps, and they’ve got plenty on tape in terms of what they like to do. We’ll prepare for what they’ve shown, but there will probably be some wrinkles we haven’t seen. He’s fully capable of running the offense. That’s why he’s a backup — and one who was in demand around the league.”