Patriots Activate Mack Hollins From IR
An already strong Patriots offense will welcome back a key reinforcement against the Broncos in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game. The Patriots have activated wide receiver Mack Hollins from injured reserve. Hollins landed on IR with an abdomen injury on Dec. 27.
After a solid 2025 showing with AFC East rival Buffalo, Hollins joined New England on a two-year, $8.4MM agreement in free agency. The move reunited Hollins with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who first coached the well-traveled wideout in Las Vegas in 2022.
Hollins posted career highs in receptions (57), targets (94) and yards (690) in his lone season with the Raiders, and he was similarly productive this year before his IR stint. In his first 15 games as a Patriot, the 32-year-old Hollins hauled in 46 receptions on 65 targets, racked up 550 yards, and found the end zone twice.
Despite missing the last two games of the regular season, Hollins led Pats receivers in snaps (657), edging out Kayshon Boutte and Stefon Diggs. The Patriots and MVP-contending quarterback Drake Maye nonetheless rattled off four straight wins without Hollins, including playoff victories over the Chargers and Texans.
With a win in Denver over backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, a former Patriot who will fill in for the injured Bo Nix, New England will earn its 12th trip to the Super Bowl. The Patriots will enter the game as rare road favorites, and the return of Hollins should further increase their chances of pulling it out.
Along with activating Hollins, the Patriots made a handful of other roster moves on Saturday. The team placed defensive tackle Eric Gregory on IR, elevated running back D’Ernest Johnson and DT Leonard Taylor from the practice squad, and released receiver Trent Sherfield from its taxi squad.
Sherfield, who played 10 games with the Broncos this season, signed with the Patriots on Jan. 13. There’s little doubt the Patriots quizzed Sherfield on the Broncos during his short stay in New England.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/29/25
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Claimed off waivers (from Rams): S Thomas Harper
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived (with injury settlement): WR Eli Pancol
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed from practice squad: TE Robert Tonyan
New England Patriots
- Claimed off waivers (from Bengals): DT Eric Gregory
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Gunner Olszewski
- Placed on IR: CB Rico Payton
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: G Willie Lampkin
- Waived (with injury settlement): CB Tariq Castro-Fields
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived (with injury settlement): WR Brandon Johnson
Tennessee Titans
- Waived (with injury settlement): WR Matt Landers
Free Agent
- Suspended: DT Tyler Manoa
Manoa will be suspended for the first two weeks of the season, if he lands with an NFL squad. While details of the suspension have not been disclosed, it may be linked to an incident that led to him being kicked out of Allegiant Stadium in the spring after some alleged property damage.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/25
As rosters continue to be sorted out, here are Thursday’s minor moves around the NFL:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LS Scott Daly, WR Devin Duvernay
- Waived: LB Carl Jones Jr.
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: DT Eric Gregory
Dallas Cowboys
- Claimed off waivers (from Eagles): OL Trevor Keegan
- Waived: WR Ryan Flournoy
Las Vegas Raiders
- Claimed off waivers (from Eagles): S Tristin McCollum
- Waived: S Thomas Harper
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: S Richie Grant
- Waived: DT Evan Anderson
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: S D’Anthony Bell
Bengals Sign 13 Undrafted Free Agents
The Bengals announced 13 undrafted free agent signings to bring their rookie class to 19. Here are Cincinnati’s 2025 UDFAs:
- Dante Barnett, DT (Dickinson College)
- Quali Conley, RB (Arizona)
- Howard Cross III, DT (Notre Dame)
- Caleb Etienne, OT (BYU)
- Eric Gregory, DT (Arkansas)
- Bralyn Lux, CB (Texas Tech)
- Jamoi Mayes, WR (Cincinnati)
- Seth McLaughlin, C (Ohio State)
- Jordan Moore, WR (Duke)
- Rashod Owens, WR (Oklahoma State)
- Kole Taylor, TE (West Virginia)
- Payton Thorne, QB (Auburn)
- William Wagner, LS (Michigan)
The Bengals signed Barnett through the NFL’s International Player Pathway program. Born in Birmingham, England, he spent three years at the NFL Academy in Leicester before a year of Division III ball at Dickinson College. Barnett will need to figure out a positional fit in Cincinnati; at 6-foot-1 and 275 pounds, he’s too small for the interior but lacks the get-off of an edge rusher.
Cross was a consistent presence on Notre Dame’s defensive line over the past four years, including second-team All-American nods in the last two under new Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden. He has an explosive first step but struggles to control encounters due to his 6-foot-1, 285-pound frame and lack of elite strength to compensate. Cross’ size may limit him in the pros, but his intangibles – handed down from his father and former Giants tight end Howard Cross – will endear him to coaches and give him a chance at a roster spot.
Etienne is a 6-foot-6, 329-pound tackle who brings a promising athletic profile to the NFL. He struggled on the right side of BYU’s offensive line in 2023 but thrived on the blindside in 2024 and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors. He has excellent length with 36-inch arms, but he has to find more ways to maximize his physical gifts with better technique and footwork.
McLaughlin spent four years at Alabama before transferring to Ohio State in 2024. As a Buckeye, he earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and won the Rimington Trophy, given out annually to the best center in college football. That was despite missing the end of the season due to a torn Achilles, which required surgery and sidelined him throughout the pre-draft process. He fell out of the draft as a result, he’s an experienced, technically sound center with a reputation as a smart, dedicated worker on and off the field. With a smooth recovery, he could turn into one of the steals of the 2025 class with the potential to succeed Ted Karras as the Bengals’ starting center.