FOXBOROUGH – When a practice starts to unfold, it’s easy to notice Mack Hollins.
The Patriots’ 6-foot-4 receiver physically stands out. As the plays unfold, it’s also easy to hear the veteran. Hollins has been one of the loudest Patriots players during practices this summer.
The 31-year-old talks so much that his teammate, DeMario Douglas, theorized that Hollins also talks trash in his sleep.
In his first offseason in New England, Hollins has already become a favorite with his teammates. His ability to fire them up by way of trash talking adds to his presence in the Patriots locker room.
“I never had a player like that on my team that talks that much trash, but he can back it up,” Douglas said. “I’ve never had a teammate like that, but I feel like it brings that energy (that) is going to get in a DB’s head to where they get out of character. But Mack’s going to keep his composure. Mack’s a dog. I feel like he’s going to bring that dog out of the whole room.”
Entering his ninth NFL season, the Patriots mark Hollins’ sixth stop in his career. He comes to the Patriots after one season in Buffalo, where he turned into a deep threat for Bills quarterback Josh Allen, finishing with 378 yards and a career-high five touchdowns.
Hollins’ best season came in 2022 with Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas, where he caught 57 passes for 690 yards and four touchdowns.
This offseason, Hollins has stood out among a crowded Patriots receiver group. Entering last week’s preseason finale, the receiver had 14 receptions in full-team drills. Through 18 days of camp, that trailed just three receivers on the roster – DeMario Douglas (30), Stefon Diggs (22), and Kayshon Boutte (15).
That’s impressive considering Hollins missed the first five days of camp and then was a limited participant after that.
On Sunday, the Patriots held a closed practice. Once again, Hollins was the loudest player on the field. Afterward, he said he has been trash-talking his whole life and doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon.
“I grew up with three boys in the house. You were always competing. Sometimes the loudest guy meant he won,” Hollins said. “I expect the same thing from the defense. If they were whooping our ass, I expect you to talk bad to me because when I’m up, I’m going to do the same.
“Everybody here is a high-level athlete; you’ve competed your whole life. Don’t feel like you can’t be the same athlete and be aggressive to what got you to this level just because you’re here. Compete within the rules that doesn’t hurt the team, but compete, it’s fun. It’s a game at the end of the day. Don’t forget that.”
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