In the aftermath of the Patriots' devastating loss to the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, there has been a lot of criticism of several star players for their performances, with rookie left tackle Will Campbell receiving the harshest of all. Some of it is certainly warranted, given his struggles were clear to see on Sunday night.
But the conversation has evolved into the Patriots making a mistake using the fourth overall pick on him last year, to the point of suggesting they might need to move him to left guard and find a new left tackle.
While there might be understandable reasons for that, it would be quite a shift for Mike Vrabel to make such a move, and it would have to be worth it because there would be no going back if Campbell didn't succeed.
That was, of course, one of the first questions asked of the head coach when he spoke to reporters for the first time since the Super Bowl on Tuesday afternoon, and Vrabel couldn't have been more emphatic with his response.
Mike Vrabel shuts down any chance of the Patriots moving Will Campbell to a new position
With so much discourse surrounding the current state and potential future of Campbell on the offensive line, Vrabel made sure to end any and all debate about what the team plans to do with him at left tackle, which doesn't include moving him to guard.
Mike Vrabel says Will Campbell is the Patriots left tackle
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) February 10, 2026
“We’re not moving him to guard or center.” pic.twitter.com/h5SaMTtAMH
If anyone was expecting to hear something else from him just days after the season ended, they were sorely mistaken.
At the same time, there's good reason to believe that Campbell's struggles can be fixed, as most have pointed to his technique being the biggest concern. If that can be dealt with during the offseason, they will be in better hands next year.
The conversation about his arm length will inevitably continue, especially after his performance last Sunday, and maybe it will need to be revisited down the line. But the hope is that Vrabel is correct in his assertion and Campbell will improve in his second season, particularly because the future of the offense depends on it.