New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins arrived at snowy Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts on Sunday, December 14, 2025, wearing only his pants before the team’s game against the Buffalo Bills. He had no shirt and no shoes in the middle of December in New England.
Hollins is known for his unusual pregame entrances, but showing up shirtless and barefoot in freezing weather takes things to a new level. The stadium had snow overnight, with temperatures around the low 30s in the morning and expected to drop into the 20s during the afternoon. According to the US Magazine, the Patriots shared a photo of his outfit on social media, and the NFL posted a video on X showing the bold look.
This is surprising because Hollins has a clear rule about when he wears shoes. On an August episode of the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast, he explained his game day routine. He said he goes barefoot for his entrances “no matter what the temperature is,” with one exception.
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Hollins broke his own barefoot rule in freezing conditions
“It’s not even hard to wear no shoes,” Hollins said on the podcast. “If it gets below 35, I’m not an idiot, I’ll put shoes on, but walking in, no matter what, I have to go barefoot.” The temperature on Sunday was below 35 degrees. He kept the shirtless look during warmups but did put on shoes eventually.
The 32-year-old receiver is in his first season with the Patriots after playing for the Bills last year. This game was against his former team and divisional rival. NFL players often make headlines with their bold fashion choices, and some even spark relationship rumors with celebrities. Hollins has followed this no-shoes rule for his game day entrances for the past three or four years.
The habit started after he got injured and began training barefoot. During recovery, he met trainers from Australia who supported going barefoot as a way of “getting back to your original ways of movement.” He said the habit grew into training barefoot all the time.
“Three or four years ago, I was like, ‘What’s the point of the shoes?’ Now I don’t even pack them,” he said. He admitted he does wear something on his feet in public bathrooms or airports. Hollins is having one of his best seasons, with 440 yards and two touchdowns on 35 catches in 13 games.
This isn’t the first time he’s made headlines with his pregame fashion. After Halloween, he arrived dressed as a Revolutionary War soldier in full 1700s outfit, honoring the “Patriots Militia” fans. The matchup between the Patriots and Bills is one of the top NFL rivalry games, with both teams competing for division supremacy. The Patriots entered the game with an 11-2 record, hoping to end Buffalo’s five-year run as division champions and win the AFC East for the first time since 2019.
Published: Dec 15, 2025 02:30 pm