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The New England Patriots could potentially receive a huge boost during their matchup with the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship. Mack Hollins — who hasn’t been seen since suffering his abdomen injury during the club’s victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 21, which ultimately ended up with him being placed on injured reserve on Dec. 27. — was seen putting on his cleats in the locker room prior to practice on Thursday, according to MassLive’s Karen Guregian. What does that mean? Hollins likely won’t be activated to return this week, but opening his practice window puts him in a position to play as soon as Sunday. If not, he’ll be eligible to continue practicing and can be activated at any point until the day before Super Bowl LX. The Patriots would certainly be eager to bring the veteran wide receiver back into the fold, as he finished third on the team in receptions (46) and fourth in receiving yards (550) despite suffering his injury and missing the final two regular season games against the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins. New England is getting healthy at the right time, with running back Terrell Jennings and defensive lineman Joshua Farmer already returning to practice this week and remaining eligible to be activated off injured reserve — while cornerback Carlton Davis remains just one step away from clearing the league’s concussion protocol. More Patriots: Cam Newton Calls Patriots’ Super Bowl Path ‘Joke,’ But His Was Easier

Ahead of the AFC wild-card round, four of the NFL.com’s five editors chose the New England Patriots to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers. Before New England’s AFC Divisional Round contest against the Houston Texans, three of the quintet sided with the Patriots. This time, it’s unanimous. The group made their AFC Championship Game picks on Thursday and all five took New England to down the Denver Broncos on the road. Notably though, each of the five members of the panel see the Patriots winning a one-score game. “But clearly, in the wake of Bo Nix’s gutting ankle injury, Denver is fighting an uphill battle, facing a sudden switch at the game’s most important position. Jarrett Stidham hasn’t thrown a pass in a real game in two years, and now he’s tasked with punching the Broncos’ ticket to the Super Bowl. It’s a daunting development, to say the least,” Gennaro Filice, who was the lone member to pick Los Angeles over New England, said. “With an 8-0 mark outside of Foxborough this season, New England’s the only team in the league that hasn’t lost a game in the unfriendly confines. The altitude is indeed an additional factor that’s unique to Denver, but generally speaking, these Pats don’t cower in hostile environments.” The biggest storyline ahead of Sunday afternoon’s battle is former New England quarterback Jarrett Stidham getting his chance at revenge as he takes over for the injured Bo Nix. Stidham is looking to become just the second quarterback since 1950 to make his first start of the season in the playoffs and win. Frank Reich is the only other signal-caller to accomplish the feat. More NFL: Cam Newton Calls Patriots’ Super Bowl Path ‘Joke,’ But His Was Easier

The New England Patriots will face the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game in Denver on Sunday. Denver has a unique home-field advantage thanks to the higher altitude and the adjustment it requires for visiting teams. It may not seem like a big deal, but the higher altitude can create extra things for a visiting thing to think about, including injury risk. Christian Barmore missed most of the 2024 season after dealing with life-threatening blood clots, per MassLive’s Chris Mason. He did not appear in a game until November of that season, but played in just four games due to symptoms recurring. Now, headed to the higher altitude in Denver, there are concerns about Barmore’s health and how his body may react to the change. Mike Vrabel announced the team’s plan for Barmore and whether he would be limited in any way. “No,” Vrabel said on Thursday when asked if there would be any limitations for Barmore. “Certainly something to monitor. There are some players we’ll have to monitor for one reason or another, but I don’t see any limitations for Christian.” Barmore has played in 17 games this season, starting 16 of them. He’s played 665 snaps this season, pretty much on par with his breakout season in 2023. Barmore has two sacks this season and four tackles for a loss. After missing most of last season, Barmore has rebounded great. After dealing with a serious health issue, he was motivated to remind fans what type of player he was. “Really just a lot of fire in my heart,” Barmore told Mason before the season. “After that situation, people forget who I am. I’m bringing a lot of (competitiveness) with me. Every day, when I’m on this field.” Barmore has started both playoff games for the Patriots this year and has five tackles and a tackle for a loss. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound defensive tackle has been a key player for Vrabel’s defense, and it is good news for the Patriots that he is a full-go this week. Barmore has been limited in practice at times due to his history, according to The Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. With no limitations this week despite the altitude, he could be in line for a big game. The last time he played in Denver was in Week 16 of the 2023 season, and he had three sacks, eight tackles and two tackles for a loss. More Patriots: Cam Newton Calls Patriots’ Super Bowl Path ‘Joke,’ But His Was Easier

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye will participate in the biggest game of his life on Sunday. Maye, who has been superb this season and was even named a finalist for NFL MVP, has consistently risen to the occasion throughout his sophomore campaign — but the biggest challenge yet will come against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship. How will he respond? What are the expectations? New England head coach Mike Vrabel answered those questions during his press conference on Wednesday. “Lead our offense, be the conductor, and help us handle the environment,” Vrabel said, per team-provided video. “Find as many positive plays as you can, take care of the football, own the operation, and then you’re gonna have to make some big time throws. That’s just kinda how these things go. “It’s no different than what we’ve expected of him the entire season.” A Boutte Beauty ❄️@Patriots | @InsidetheNFL pic.twitter.com/EmdDn83DyR— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 19, 2026 Maye has been rather up-and-down throughout the postseason, fumbling the ball six times and turning it over fix times across a wild-card victory over the Los Angeles Chargers and divisional round victory over the Houston Texans. If that trend continues, there won’t be much reason to expect a trip to Super Bowl LX. The Patriots have seen what putting the sophomore signal-caller in the right positions can do for their overall success, though, so if they can do that there will be reason to believe he can lead them to the promised land. It’s a team game, so do your part and he’ll do his. More Patriots: Cam Newton Calls Patriots’ Super Bowl Path ‘Joke,’ But His Was Easier

The Boston Red Sox have been busy this offseason, swinging big trades for Sonny Gray, Johan Oviedo and Willson Contreras. They’ve also spent big in free agency, signing Ranger Suarez to a five-year, $130 million deal. While Craig Breslow has made several bold moves this winter, the offseason has also brought its share of frustration for the Red Sox. They lost Alex Bregman to the Chicago Cubs and were shockingly the last Major League team to sign an MLB free agent. Other deals have fallen through as well, leading Breslow to open up about Boston’s recent near misses during Suarez’s introductory press conference at Fenway Park on Wednesday. Reminder: The Rangers led the majors in ERA last year, but didn't make the playoffs and went 16-62 when scoring three or fewer runs. https://t.co/d6RYhEesK5— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) January 22, 2026 “There are moments over the course of the offseason where you feel like you’re minutes away from a trade coming together and signing, and then you look up a couple hours later and the whole thing dissolves,” Breslow told reporters. “I think we’ve been pushing all offseason trying to have as many conversations as we can,” Breslow continued. “And, you know, if it’s free agency, it’s getting uncomfortable. If it’s trades that are putting guys in the conversation, we would much prefer to hold on to them.” To Breslow’s point, making deals is difficult. Free agency often involves outbidding other teams for the same player, while trades require giving up valuable assets to get something in return. It’s notable, and perhaps telling, that Breslow’s two biggest free-agent signings so far — Bregman and Suarez — both came late in the winter. This year, the Suarez signing happened after the Red Sox had already missed out on Bregman, Pete Alonso and other big names. Breslow was aggressive in the trade market early in the offseason, acquiring Gray and Oviedo before the Winter Meetings. He may need to move a little quicker in free agency, however, if he wants to land his top free-agent targets going forward. More Red Sox: Jon Heyman Ties Red Sox To Three Different Infield Trade Targets