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Former Dolphins wide receiver led the Patriots in receiving yards

After the Super Bowl, the NFL season is officially over, which means the Miami Dolphins can begin looking toward 2026. The 2025 season was one filled with disappointment for Miami as the team missed the postseason for the second consecutive year. To make matters worse, two division rivals made the postseason, and the New England Patriots reached the Super Bowl.

Fortunately for Dolphins fans, the Patriots failed to win their seventh Super Bowl as Seattle won 29-14. The Patriots featured two former Dolphins players at the same position. One of them spent three seasons with the Dolphins and came up big for New England despite the loss.

Former Miami Dolphins Player Leads Patriots in Receiving

Wide receiver Mack Hollins was with the Dolphins from 2019 to 2021. Prior to the 2025 season, Hollins signed a two-year deal with the New England Patriots, bringing over his unique personality and antics. This season with the Patriots, Hollins had his second-best season as a receiver as he totaled 550 receiving yards despite missing two games with an injury.

Hollins returned from his injury in time for the AFC Championship, but it was in the Super Bowl where he shined most. After his interesting pregame entrance, Hollins led the Patriots with 78 receiving yards, which included a 35-yard touchdown. The touchdown was the first of the game for New England as they cut the deficit to a two-possession game. Ultimately, New England could never make it a close game in the second half, but it was not due to lack of contribution by the former Dolphins player.

With the Dolphins, Hollins was mostly a special teams player and blocking wide receiver. His best season in Miami happened in 2021, when he had 223 receiving yards. The team’s wide receiver room that season included DeVante Parker and Jaylen Waddle. Following the season Parker was traded to New England and Hollins departed to Las Vegas in free agency. 

Hollins also played for the division-rival Buffalo Bills in 2024, where he set a new career-high with five receiving touchdowns in a season. He had five touchdowns in 37 games with the Dolphins.

Miami Dolphins Offseason Outlook

Next up for the Dolphins is free agency. Miami has plenty of work, as they’re set to have more than 20 unrestricted free agents. Additionally, the team will have to try to replace the production of superstar receiver Tyreek Hill, who is expected to be released. 

The team currently has the fourth-least cap space in the NFL, but they will likely move up those rankings once they make a decision on the contracts of Hill, Tua Tagovailoa and Bradley Chubb. The name most often brought up when talking about possible free agents is quarterback Malik Willis, who the Dolphins coaching staff is familiar with from their time in Green Bay. The Dolphins are not the only team that is looking to add a quarterback in free agency, which could complicate matters if the price for Willis rises.

The team has also been linked with All-Pro tight end Kyle Pitts, as they are in search of playmakers to support the new Dolphins’ quarterback.

Jose Esquer Jose Esquer is a Mexican-American sportswriter and communications student based in San Diego, CA. His work spans football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He has written for platforms like RotoWire and DolphinsTalk. You can find him on Twitter/X @JEsquer8, usually talking Dolphins, world football, or both. More about Jose Esquer

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