In a passing offense that did not produce a 1000 yard receiver, the mantra “everybody eats” was still incredibly effective in spreading the ball around as the Bills marched to the AFC Championship game. One of those key contributors was Mack Hollins, a new addition to the team after stops in Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Miami, and Atlanta.
Hollins wasn’t expected to do much more than be a depth wide receiver and special teams contributor but he had one of his best seasons as a NFL pro. He set career high’s in touchdowns with 5 and his second highest receptions and yardage with 31 receptions and 378 yards. While those are not eye popping numbers, he became a favorite target of Josh Allen’s when his first read wasn’t available or he needed a safety valve.
One of the tough decisions every year during free agency is who to bring back and who to let walk. The discussion below looks at Mack Hollins injury history and market value heading into the 2025 season.
Injury History
NFL
2017 Philadelphia Eagles
No publicly reported injuries.
2018 Eagles
Core muscle repair, placed on injured reserve, and missed the entire season.
Hollins suffered a groin injury sometime during his rookie year in 2017 but did not appear on the injury report. Following the Super Bowl, he underwent a core muscle repair to correct the issue. He rehabbed all off-season but never got the burst and explosion back. He was able to play in the first preseason game but had difficulty warming up for the second game and was shut down.
At the time, Doug Pederson had said that his prior surgery and current injury were unrelated. He was placed on injured reserve having many ups and downs along with setbacks during rehab. It’s unclear whether he required a second procedure to the area, but he likely had access to Dr. William Meyers of the Vincera Institute. He is the foremost expert on core muscle repair and plenty of NFL athletes go to him in Philadelphia.
2019 Eagles/Miami Dolphins
No publicly reported injuries.
Hollins appeared in 12 games with the Eagles before being waived. He was later picked up by the Dolphins and appeared in four games to finish the season.
2020 Miami Dolphins
No publicly reported injuries.
2021 Miami Dolphins
No publicly reported injuries.
2022 Las Vegas Raiders
Heel, Week 5, missed 0 games,
Hollins suffered a heel injury sometime in Week 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs. He was limited in practice the following two weeks and questionable heading into the games but did not see a reduction in his snap counts. It’s not clear the exact injury but considering the heel connects to the Achilles, he may have had pain from running and jumping.
2023 Atlanta Falcons
Right ankle injury, Week 9, missed 3 games.
Hollins suffered a right ankle sprain on a route up the middle of the field with 9:44 left in the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings. There were no details regarding the specifics of the injury, but by video, he got hit low and outside which suggests a high-ankle sprain. The missed timeline also fits this injury, and he had the bye week in Week 11, giving him four full weeks to recover.
He did miss Week 15 but was deemed a healthy scratch as he was not on the injury report that week.
Undisclosed injury. Week 18, missed the second half of the final game.
Hollins suffered an undisclosed injury during the first half of the loss to the New Orleans Saints and did not return.
2024 Buffalo Bills
Left AC Joint Sprain, Week 5, missed 0 games.
Hollins suffered a left AC joint sprain while diving for a catch late in the game. He did not miss any time but was on the injury report for the next six weeks and was observed wearing a pad on the shoulder to protect the area during games.
Injury Concerns
Looking at Hollins as a whole, there isn’t much to worry about. He battled through his AC joint sprain this year and didn’t miss any games. Dealing with the injury, he secured just 6 receptions for 30 yards, but hauled in two touchdowns over the next four games. He was never going to put up WR1 numbers but he became a valuable contributor during key moments especially in the playoffs.
His other injuries including the high-ankle and core muscle repair are past issues and typically do not linger or lead to long-term performance decline. There really aren’t any injury concerns moving forward with Hollins as he enters his age-32 season.
Drawbacks
The only drawback is that he is over 30 and he’s been in the league for a while. That experience helps but as a player gets older, they don’t typically recover as quickly as they once did. However, Hollins has been one to be proactive in taking care of his body including walking barefoot to keep his feet muscles strong which is something he picked up after his core muscle repair.
He also stays in phenomenal shape which helps avoid soft tissue injuries and mitigates the week-to-week issues that players deal with playing such a physical game.
Market Value
Hollins isn’t quite playing for league minimum but he’s far cheaper than many veteran wide receivers and highly drafted rookies. He has signed between $2-2.6 million over the last three seasons and would likely sign for a similar amount.
Spotrac has his predicted valuation at $2.4 million APY based on his production and age. Over the Cap has Hollins at $6.2 million APY based on his 2024 production. Both use different formulas to come to these numbers factoring league contract averages, age, and production. Hollins may have produced at a higher rate that could warrant a pay raise but his age and role within the offense has to be factored into negotiations.
At this point in his career, he likely wants some stability and guarantees so to take a one or two year contract at a reasonable APY should be within the Bills price range. He could go elsewhere and command slightly more but I would like to think he knows a good thing when he sees it.
Stay or Leave
Find me an argument to why the Bills should not re-sign Mack Hollins. He’s not going to get you 1000 yards or 10 touchdowns a year, but he’s going to be an excellent WR4 or WR5 and huge contributor on special teams. He was an incredibly pleasant surprise and clearly a locker room guy. His presence certainly helped elevate the whole team.
Final Thoughts
The price is right, there are no injury concerns, and his presence is a positive one. This may be the easiest decision for the Bills front office to make this offseason in free agency. I’m looking forward to watching Mack Hollins play in Buffalo in 2025.
Top Photo Credit: Mack Hollins/Instagram
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