Former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mack Hollins is pushing back on the NFL after receiving a five-figure punishment for a controversial hit.
Now on the New England Patriots, Hollins was fined for what the league called unnecessary roughness in last week’s win over the New York Jets. The play itself drew some pushback from fans, and now has an official appeal from Hollins himself.
Mack Hollins Will Appeal His Punishment
As Karen Guregian of MassLive.com noted, Hollins was fined $20,278 for what appeared to be an innocuous play. After making an eight-yard reception in the second quarter with the Patriots leading 14-7, Hollins appeared to slightly lower his head as he braced for contact.
“Jets cornerbacks Brandon Stephens and Isaiah Oliver were in on the tackle of Hollins, who had four catches for 64 yards in the game,” Guregian noted.
Reporter Mike Reiss noted that Hollins plans to appeal the fine.
The NFL deemed that Hollins lowered his helmet to initiate contact, which has been a point of emphasis from the league. Running backs Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles and Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers have both been fined for lowering the helmet this season.
The rule has been in place since 2018, though it is rarely flagged for a penalty during games. League chairman Rich McKay explained at the time that the NFL wanted to get in line with the NCAA’s rule against targeting while also preventing injuries like the severe spinal injury suffered by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier.
“It just seems that players at every level are getting more comfortable playing with their helmets as a weapon rather than a protective device,” McKay said. “Therefore, we need a rule that is broad and puts that in context, and that’s what we think this does.”
Bills Miss Mack Hollins
The Bills have struggled to get consistent production out of their wide receiving corps this season, missing the steady contributions of Hollins — especially in the red zone. Though he only had 31 receptions for 378 yards, Hollins led the team with five touchdown receptions.
The Bills have been forced to do some late-season retooling of their wide receiver room, first picking up veteran Mecole Hardman in free agency, but losing him to injured reserve after just one week. The team this week signed Brandin Cooks after his release by the New Orleans Saints, parting ways with veteran Elijah Moore to make room for him on the roster.
Cooks said he was excited for the chance to play with quarterback Josh Allen.
“The opportunity to be able to play with Josh is, I mean, you can’t pass up the opportunity,” Cooks told reporters on Wednesday, via ESPN.
Cooks said the Bills have gained a strong reputation among players across the NFL, saying he is grateful to join the team.
“[Allen’s] a special player,” Cooks said. “All you do is hear about this organization from afar being a special place and how they treat players and it’s all about ball. So, I’m thankful to be here for sure.”
It’s not clear yet what role Cooks could play in this week’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which will have major playoff implications. The Bills fell to the No. 7 spot in the AFC, holding onto the final playoff spot.
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