In the weeks since the Patriots suffered a brutal loss to the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, there has been a lot of discussion surrounding the immediate and long-term future of starting left tackle Will Campbell.
Because his struggles were on full display throughout the playoffs, but especially in the Super Bowl, there have been plenty of rumors suggesting that the team might move him to guard, where many heading into last year's draft believed he was a better fit, and most recently, rumors about the team's interest in a pending free agent to replace Campbell at the position.
Despite putting together an impressive rookie season and only appearing to struggle after returning from injury, the rumors have heated up in recent days, so it was inevitable that Eliot Wolf was asked about it all while speaking to reporters at the NFL Combine.
Besides immediately shutting down the reports of the Patriots' interest in Rasheed Walker, Wolf also made it clear where the team stands on Campbell's future and how they viewed his first season in the NFL.
Eliot Wolf says the Patriots are not moving on from Will Campbell or switching his position in 2026
It's just the latest supportive comments from the coaching staff and higher-ups in New England, which should end nearly all speculation about what the tackle will be doing in 2026.
"When he came back from that injury, I didn't see that same level of lower-body strength that you saw before the injury...before that, I thought Will played really well all year. I know everybody talks about the arm length, but he has a set of skills that enable him to play with that arm length.
He's really quick out of his sets, he's technically sound...again, he's 22 years old and we expect some improvement out of him as well."
Obviously, even as fans, it was clear as day to see that Campbell wasn't playing to the same standard he had set during the regular season leading up to the Super Bowl. His struggles were apparent, and given that he had just returned from an injury, it made sense that he might not be 100% in his return, which led to all the issues we saw on the field.
That doesn't mean the Patriots need to move him to another position or replace him, especially since that is a decision they can't take back once they make it.
With the right training and maybe even mentorship from a few seasoned veterans, Campbell will be far improved going into Year 2 than how he ended his rookie season. Clearly, the Patriots' staff believes that to be true, and from what we've seen, there's no reason to question their decision.