Will

Campbell

Vrabel on Tuesday offered a vociferous defense of the rookie following his postseason struggles while playing through a major knee injury. “Will is 22 years old. He’s our left tackle. He’ll get better. He’ll get stronger,” Vrabel said. “There’s plays he’d like to have back. We’re not moving Will to guard, center, tight end or anywhere else.” Pro Football Focus graded Campbell 110th out of 200 qualifying offensive linemen in pass blocking this season. He was graded 81st in run blocking. Campbell allowed nine sacks in 2025, the third most among all NFL offensive linemen. Assuming he’ll undergo offseason knee surgery, Campbell should be good to go for the 2026 season.

Campbell said the injury was no excuse for his abysmal play in the postseason, including in the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss to the Seahawks. Campbell was overwhelmed by the Seattle front seven from start to finish, as Drake Maye was pressured on 29 of his 53 drop backs and sacked six times. Campbell will presumably have offseason surgery to fix the injury. Hopefully for the Patriots, Campbell — the fourth overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft — will be better in 2026 than he was during his disastrous finish to the 2025 campaign.

The Patriots’ rookie left tackle is active for the first time since Week 12. He could be on something of a snap count as he looks to get his legs back ahead of the postseason, but the Pats remain in contention for the AFC’s No. 1 seed, if only faintly. Perhaps Campbell will play more than expected if circumstance dictates. Inactive for the Patriots are OT Marcus Bryant, OG Caedan Wallace, QB Tommy DeVito, EDGE Harold Landry, LB Robert Spillane, DT Khyiris Tonga and OG Jared Wilson.

Campbell was placed on injured reserve after suffering a torn MCL in Week 12 against the Bengals. The 21-year-old left tackle will have his 21-day practice window opened this week. He’s eligible to return from injured reserve for Week 18’s matchup with the Dolphins, though the Patriots will have to see him practice first. If all goes well, it looks like the Patriots will be getting a big piece of their offensive line back ahead of a potentially deep playoff run.

As expected, Campbell will miss at least four games. Campebll suffered a torn MCL in Week 12 and may be out until the playoffs, if not longer. Vederian Lowe took Campbell’s spot in the lineup last week. Head coach Mike Vrabel was noncommittal earlier in the week when asked about Campbell’s replacement. Rookie Marcus Bryant could also get a shot at the job. Either way, expect Drake Maye to be pressured far more often without his starting left tackle on the field.

Campbell went down with an MCL injury in Week 12 against the Bengals. Russini said Campbell, who has excelled as a pass protector this season, “will most likely land on injured reserve” and could return for the postseason. Losing Campbell could mean more pressure on Drake Maye, who in Week 12 struggled against pressure. On the season Maye has completed 55 percent of his throws when facing pressure and has averaged 8.2 yards per attempt, the third highest mark in the NFL.

An MRI will confirm Campbell’s injury and how much time he could miss, but the rookie tackle is likely facing a multi-week absence that could include a stint on the injured reserve. Backup Vederian Lowe is listed behind Campbell on the depth chart and will presumably draw the start after playing on 30 snaps in Week 12’s win.

Campbell suffered his knee injury in Week 12’s win over the Bengals and is expected to undergo an MRI. We’ll likely learn more about the rookie’s status later in the day, but the star rookie has been solid in his first season, allowing five sacks and 25 pressures while earning a PFF pass blocking grade of 75.0. The Patriots were dealt multiple injuries to their OL in Sunday’s win, and could be looking at a patchwork group in Week 13 against the Giants.

The injury did not look good. Campbell was down and in considerable pain as the trainers examined his leg. He immediately went into the blue medical tent. The Patriots also lost starting left guard Jared Wilson to injury earlier in this game, so long-term losses for both of those would be a major concern for the Patriots.

The No. 4 overall pick is good to go on Drake Maye’s blindside. Inactive for the Patriots are OG Caedan Wallace, EDGE Anfernee Jennings, WR Efton Chism, DT Eric Gregory, QB Tommy DeVito, CB Christian Gonzalez and CB Charles Woods.