Patriots Could Be Hunting Receiver Help: Here's a Handful of Notable Options for Mike Vrabel to Ponder

If Mack Hollins' leg injury keeps him out of action, New England is down to four healthy wide receivers on the 53-man roster.

by Hector Longo

Oct 6, 2026

If Mack Hollins' leg injury keeps him out of action, New England is down to four healthy wide receivers on the 53-man roster.

With Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots down two of their top wide receivers right now as it stands, where do they look for help?

They certainly need it.

The fourth man on the roster, Kyle Williams, has ground to a halt with two catches on seven targets this year. He’s played 64 offensive snaps this year.

So, let’s take a peek at potential options.

The simple, quiet route

Two receivers currently reside on the New England practice squad – Kyle Dixon and Cam Dorner.

Both guys spent the entire offseason in camp and looked solid in the summer. Dixon caught all 10 of his preseason targets for 81 yards. Dorner had four grabs on five targets for 37 yards.

Each would be considered a stop-gap.

Swing for the fences

If Vrabel was looking for splash, he could go after free agent Tyreek Hill.

Reportedly, Hill, coming off a reconstructive knee surgery, is about to find a new employer and is ready to go.

The Giants recently released Odell Beckham. Perhaps, the Patriots could coax old friend and current Georgia Tech assistant coach DeAndre Hopkins out of retirement.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) misses the pass on the last drive of the game. The Giants were called for a foul on the play, Sunday, October 4, 2026, in East Rutherford.

There is also the trade route with rumors that the Cardinals might be ready to move on from disappointing 2024 first-rounder Marvin Harrison Jr.

New England could certainly consider a reclamation project like that.

Finally, the sensible route

There are some intriguing names on, or recently removed from, practice squads out around the NFL.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is currently with Indianapolis. He played four seasons for Vrabel in Tennessee.

Former Cleveland Brown Cedric Tillman, now on the Saints practice squad, has a minor Vrabel connection. He was in Cleveland when Vrabel was on staff as a consultant/assistant in 2024.

A couple others to note. Scotty Miller was released recently from the Chicago practice squad. He did some solid slot work in Tampa Bay back in the Tom Brady days.

Might they consider tweaking a division rival by poaching former 49er Trent Sherfield off the Buffalo practice squad?