Who Should I Start? Mack Hollins or Devaughn Vele

Sunday, November 1, 3:55 AM

New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins (calf) is eligible to be designated to return from injured reserve ahead of Week 9, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. The team can designate him to return as early as Monday, which would open his practice window without immediately bringing him back onto the 53-man roster. This process would allow him to practice with the team like usual, and then once the Patriots determine he's healthy enough to play, then they would officially activate him. New England won't rush Hollins back, but it sounds like he's just about ready to play. The veteran receiver traveled with the team to Chicago last week, and he could practice in the next few days, offering potential reinforcements for a very short-staffed Patriots receiving corps. New England has both Hollins and Romeo Doubs (shoulder) on IR, while A.J. Brown (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Dolphins and could be facing a multi-week absence. There's a real chance that Hollins returns and immediately slots in as the team's No. 1 receiver ahead of DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism III, and Kyle Williams. Across four games this season, Hollins has a respectable 15 catches for 209 yards, but he's still looking for his first touchdown of the 2026 campaign. If Brown misses Week 9 and Hollins plays, the latter would rank as a WR3/flex in 14+ team leagues.