Patriots' Will Campbell: No offseason surgery expected
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Campbell isn't expected to require offseason surgery to address the knee injury that hampered him during the postseason, Mike Reiss of ESPN reports.
Campbell suffered a torn right MCL on Nov. 23, and though the rookie left tackle returned to action in Week 18, he notably struggled in the postseason, including during the Patriots' Super Bowl LIX loss to the Seahawks. Patriots executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf noted Tuesday of Campbell, "when he came back from that injury, I personally didn't see the same level of lower body strength that you saw before the injury. I think the film would attest to that. He probably had three of his four worst games in the playoffs. Before that, I thought Will played really well all year." Following the conclusion of New England's postseason run, head coach Mike Vrabel indicated that the Patriots plan to stick with Campbell -- the No 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft -- at left tackle, rather than consider shifting the 6-foot-6, 319-pound LSU product to guard.
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Patriots' Will Campbell: Dealing with ligament tear
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Campbell told reporters Tuesday that he tore a ligament in his knee this season and was not 100 percent during the playoffs, Mark Daniels of MassLive.com reports.
Campbell struggled during the postseason, allowing a whopping 29 pressures across three games -- the most ever surrendered in a single playoff run, according to Next Gen Stats. However, it now appears he wasn't fully healthy, which could explain his underwhelming performance. Head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters Tuesday that Campbell will remain New England's top left tackle in 2026, giving the 2025 first-round pick a confidence boost heading into next season, per Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald.
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Patriots' Will Campbell: Set to practice Wednesday
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Campbell (knee - MCL) is expected to return to practice Wednesday, per head coach Mike Vrabel, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
Campbell has been on IR since late November due to a sprained MCL in his knee. If the rookie first-round pick is indeed able to return to practice Wednesday or any day this week, there's a possibility he'll be activated ahead of Sunday's Week 18 matchup against Miami, though the more likely scenario is that New England will wait until the postseason to put him back into game action. Prior to getting hurt, Campbell had started the Patriots' first 12 contests of the campaign.
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Patriots' Will Campbell: Won't return Sunday
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Campbell (knee) has been ruled out for the rest of Sunday's game against the Bengals, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports.
Campbell had to be carted to the locker room after sustaining a knee injury, and the rookie first-rounder was quickly ruled out after being evaluated by medical staff. Vederian Lowe will remain at left tackle for the rest of Sunday's game.
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Patriots' Will Campbell: Questionable to return Sunday
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Campbell has a knee injury and is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Bengals, Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston reports.
The 2025 first-round pick has started every game this season for New England. Vederian Lowe and Marcus Bryant are the Patriots' backup tackles.
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Patriots' Will Campbell: Expected to play Week 1
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Campbell (ankle) is expected to be cleared to play in Sunday's regular-season opener against the Raiders, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
An ankle injury limited Campbell in the Patriots' final two practices of the week. The rookie first-rounder will go through pregame warmups to test his ankle, but he should be cleared to make his NFL regular-season debut against Las Vegas. Campbell is slated to serve as the Patriots' starting left tackle.
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Patriots' Will Campbell: Could play Sunday
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Campbell (ankle) is listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's contest against the Raiders, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.
Campbell popped up on the Patriots' injury report Thursday with an ankle injury that limited him in the team's final two practices of the week. The 2025 first-round pick is slated to serve as New England's top left tackle, but if he's unable to suit up in Week 1, Vederian Lowe will likely step in and protect Drake Maye's blind side.
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Patriots' Will Campbell: New franchise left tackle for Pats
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The Patriots selected Campbell in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, fourth overall.
This was a great combination of team need meeting top-end talent as the Patriots came into the draft in dire need of a sturdy left tackle to protect Drake Maye's blindside. With the first three picks being Cam Ward, Travis Hunter, and Abdul Carter, the Patriots were able to land the top tackle prospect on their board. Campbell was a decorated three-year starter at LSU who garnered All-SEC and All-America honors. Those who paid attention to the pre-draft process undoubtedly heard the critiques of Campbell's frame, namely his 32.63-inch arms, which is below average for starting left tackles in the NFL. The Patriots are willing to bet that Campbell's ability and technique outweigh the shortcomings.
