Patriots receiver Mack Hollins agreed before the 2026 season to raise his bonus thresholds from 30, 40 and 50 catches to 47, 50 and 55, freeing $600,000 in cap space. Analyst Greg Bedard said the team “should be embarrassed” by its handling of him.
The changes were reportedly agreed before Week 1, when Hollins’ $2.9 million base salary would have become guaranteed if he had been released. He caught 46 passes in 2025, clearing two of the original thresholds; the revised bonuses were classified as “not likely to be earned” for salary-cap purposes.
Bedard said the decision was especially troubling given Hollins’ previous-season contribution and his return from a lacerated spleen during the prior postseason after signing an injury waiver. Hollins described the contract change as “the business,” saying he had faced the possibility of being cut. Another team reportedly showed trade interest in Hollins, but New England declined to move him.
