Veteran wide receiver Mack Hollins is with the New England Patriots as he continues his career on a new team. On Wednesday, the famed shoeless wideout turned heads after punting the ball after scoring a 50-yard touchdown. Hollins revealed why he decided to do that shortly after the team’s joint practice with the Minnesota Vikings.

While talking with media members, Hollins, who is 31 years old, claimed that he didn’t like the “energy” coming from the Patriots during practice, according to Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald. His decision to punt the ball resulted in a penalty during the Patriots’ scrimmage against the Vikings. Hollins also claimed that he would take whatever fine comes his way.

“Mack Hollins says he punted the ball because he didn’t like the Patriots’ energy at the time. Hollins said he would take the fine. ‘It doesn’t hurt the team, it just hurts my pockets.’”

Punting the ball into the stands typically results in a fine during an actual game. However, the same act during a practice apparently leads to the same result. In a game situation, players are fined $8,114 on the first offense. A second offense is a $13,911 fine. The fine price may differ during a joint practice.

Either way, Hollins didn’t articulate why he felt the bad energy from his teammates. Sometimes, teams can have a bad practice, especially in this portion of the preseason. Teams around the league, including the Patriots, are figuring things out with new players on the roster as everyone prepares for the upcoming season.

Mack Hollins joins a Patriots team surrounded by plenty of hype thanks to quarterback Drake Maye and new head coach Mike Vrabel. Many believe New England could be a solid team in the league once again, but only time will tell if that is the case or not.

Hollins is entering the eighth season of his career. He caught plenty of attention in the 2024-25 campaign during his time with the Buffalo Bills, as Mack Hollins famously does not wear shoes. Additionally, he would show up to games wearing wild attire that also turned plenty of heads. He recorded a career-high five touchdowns in his one-year stint in Buffalo.