The New England Patriots are sending yet another wide receiver to the Injury Reserve (IR) list. Mack Hollins will now miss at least the next four games. Hence, options are slim against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Hollins is suffering from a calf injury. Now, he joins AJ Brown as the wideouts placed on IR. However, Brown is close to returning. Still, he won’t be featured against the Raiders.
Brown, who is on IR after suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 1, could return in Week 6. Still, for Week 5 where the Patriots face off against the Las Vegas Raiders, New England will be short of two of their best wideouts.
Patriots WR depth chart vs Raiders in Week 5
The Patriots will have to deal with third-stringers and lesser receivers as they hope to get a second win in a row and gain some momentum. The Raiders actually beat the Patriots last season, so it’s also revenge time. This is their WR depth chart for the game:
A double whammy: the Patriots placed FB Reggie Gilliam and WR Mack Hollins on injured reserve. pic.twitter.com/8ZXtrgvaCQ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 10, 2026
- Romeo Doubs (Starting X-Receiver)
- Efton Chism III (Expected starter at the Z-Receiver role in place of Hollins)
- DeMario Douglas (Starting Slot Receiver)
- Kyle Williams (Backup / Rotational Receive)
The Patriots have a hidden gem at WR
The New England Patriots have an underutilized yet talented wideout in Efton Chism III. Chism became a cult hero last week by making an outstanding game-winning touchdown grab.
Chism is one of those wideouts that usually thrive under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. He is a small, route-prolific receiver. He has already drawn comparisons to Patriots’ greats Wes Welker, Danny Amendola, and Julian Edelman.
Key takeaways
- Mack Hollins was placed on IR due to a calf injury, ruling him out for at least four games.
- A.J. Brown remains sidelined on IR with a high-ankle sprain but could return in Week 6.
- Efton Chism III will start at Z-receiver against Las Vegas after catching a game-winning touchdown.
