While the Buffalo snow fell, Patriots receiver Mack Hollins decided sleeves and shoes were optional, sparking immediate concern before a pivotal AFC East matchup. The 32-year-old has not played in the warmest of places in the NFL, but this time, he has made a statement in Buffalo, even before stepping on the field against his former team.

Hollins’ Week 15 outfit certainly raised eyebrows. The official NFL Instagram page uploaded a video showing the wide receiver walking barefoot and shirtless in the snowfall.

Seeing Hollins shoeless is no surprise, but this was a lot more than shoeless. In a conversation with NBC Sports Philadelphia in 2023, the wide receiver talked about roaming barefoot.

“I think I’ve been shoeless for four or five years,” Hollins said. “Sometimes I get kicked out of places where I have to put shoes on. It’s so funny that people look at me like that because shoes are definitely dirtier than feet. Because I wash my feet all the time. When’s the last time you washed the bottom of your shoe?”

“Even on cloudy days, folks, sunscreen,” Hollins said after he fist-bumped a stadium employee.

In fact, the wide receiver even proceeded to continue shirtless during the warmups while other players had donned their jerseys.

“Mack Hollins entered the stadium shirtless this morning, and he still doesn’t have a shirt on during warmups in the snow,” reported ESPN’s Tom Carroll on X.

The incident also left many concerned, fearing that his outfit choice could lead to a health concern. “Some fans were unimpressed and made their feelings known.

Fans show concern about Mack Hollins’ outfit choice

While some fans dropped fire emojis and said Hollins is “built different,” a large portion of the fans were concerned for the wide receiver. One fan worried about the physical risk.

“One piece of glass on the ground and he’s really not seeing the field,” the fan commented.

Their wording hinted at concern over safety rather than toughness. Another group read the clip as exaggerated confidence.

“He ain’t fooling anyone. He know he cold.” The comment read, “He played for buffalo i think hes used to the cold.”

Skepticism returned again as a final fan questioned the act itself, suggesting Hollins was playing it up, pretending not to feel the cold.

“You know he’s freezing, he’s walking way faster than normal,” the comment said.

Sunday’s clash draws a clear line in the AFC East race. A Bills win keeps their surge alive and pushes them past New England in the standings, while a Patriots victory would all but lock up the division and punch their playoff ticket. One team is chasing momentum, the other is protecting dominance.