Patriots, Mack Hollins agreed to make his 2026 incentives harder to earn

Published September 16, 2026 10:29 AM It’s going to be a little harder for Patriots receiver Mack Hollins to boost his shoe budget. The fact that he doesn’t seem to ever wear them makes that less of a problem.Via Spotrac, the Patriots and Hollins agreed to a 2026 revision that converts some of the potential payments into not-likely-to-be-earned incentives. The move shifts money from the 2026 salary cap to 2027, if the incentives are reached.Previously, Hollins was due to get $300,000 for catching 30 passes, another $300,000 for catching 40, and another $400,000 for catching 50. The new version moves the magic numbers to 47, 50, and 55, respectively.Last year, Hollins caught 46 passes. Which unlocked $600,000 in extra pay. And which made $600,000 of the incentive package “likely to be earned” in 2026, with those dollars counting against the 2026 cap.The new deal was finalized on September 1. Given that Hollins apparently got nothing in return for the adjustment, the leverage to get him to agree would have been a not-so-subtle suggestion that he’d be released before Week 1, when his $2.9 million base salary would have become guaranteed as termination pay. (He also has $750,000 in per-game active roster bonuses.) It’s odd to think the Patriots were considering cutting Hollins. Albert Breer of SI.com recently reported that at least one contending team expressed interest in trading for Hollins, and the Patriots declined. Hollins could have forced the issue, become a free agent, and signed with that team (or any other).The likely problem was the timing. Hollins would have been scrambling for a job, at a time when rosters were set. The team that had been interested in trading for him may have addressed its needs elsewhere. And, even if someone would have given Hollins the same terms he had with the Patriots, Hollins would have had to embrace a new city, new team, new coaching staff, new everything only days away from Week 1.The good news for Hollins is that the A.J. Brown injury will give Hollins more opportunities to get toward 47, 50, and/or 55 receptions. In Week 1, Hollins had four catches. That projects to 68 for the season, which would get him the full $1 million — and which would make all of it count against the 2027 cap.