FOXBORO — Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins was conspicuously absent from Wednesday’s practice inside the team’s practice bubble.

Head coach Mike Vrabel said before practice that Hollins’ 21-day window to return off injured reserve was not expected to start Wednesday.

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“I would not anticipate Mack being out there,” Vrabel said.

Hollins suffered an abdominal injury in the Patriots’ Week 16 win over the Ravens and was placed on IR prior to Week 17. Sunday’s AFC Championship Game is the earliest he can return from the abdominal injury.

It would be slightly surprising to see Hollins return to practice, be activated and play against the Broncos this week after missing Wednesday’s practice, but it can’t completely be ruled out.

Vrabel was non-committal Monday when asked if Hollins would return off IR. Hollins’ teammate, fellow wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, had a more positive outlook.

“We just said, ‘One more game and we get Mack back,’” Boutte relayed about a conversation he had with Stefon Diggs before the Patriots’ divisional-round win over the Texans. “But I think it would mean a lot to Mack, though. We bust our ass to get where we at today, the AFC Championship, so now that he’s back, we look forward to roll.”

Defensive tackle Joshua Farmer (hamstring) and Terrell Jennings (concussion protocol), both of whom are on IR, were at practice Wednesday in the WIN Waste Management Field House.