The New England Patriots were clobbered by the Seahawks in this year's Super Bowl, largely because their offensive line surrendered six sacks, which contributed to three turnovers that ended their hopes.
A contributor to those woes was injured rookie left tackle Will Campbell, who was questioned from the draft throughout the season for various reasons. And he is still taking his lumps.
The main reason for Campbell's drop in effectiveness was a serious knee injury. He missed four games in 2025 due to that injury, and his decided drop in play later in the season and the playoffs was due to that.
Pats Pulpit's Brian Hines explored the seriousness of Will Campbell's injury and how he's trying to rebound and improve.
Will Campbell's injury was far worse than the Patriots let on last season
While his play was routinely criticized late in the season, it's a credit to the rookie that he did all he could to get back on the field to support his quarterback, Drake Maye, and his teammates.
Rather than being criticized, he should have been lauded for doing all he could to help his team win.
despite a serious knee injury.
Brian Hines adds insights to Campbell's injury and his rehab.
"Will Campbell was not himself down the stretch last season. After suffering a tear in his MCL that cost him four regular-season games, Campbell returned for the Patriots’ regular-season finale and playoff run. The rookie struggled upon his return, as executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf later noted that three of Campbell’s four worst games came during the postseason. Wolf also acknowledged the struggles were largely due to Campbell losing lower-body strength because of the injury.
This offseason, regaining that strength was at the top of Campbell’s to-do list...'Getting back healthy, I did [physical therapy] five days a week the entire offseason until we got back (April 20),' Campbell said. 'Just trying to rebuild the strength in my knee to get it back to where it was previously. And I feel like I did a good job with that"...The Patriots hope Campbell’s offseason work will help him return to — and potentially surpass — the level he was playing at before the injury, something the tackle appears eager to prove."
The Patriots understand that the MCL injury was the reason for Campbell's decline in play. Executive Vice President of Personnel Eliot Wolf noted that the subsequent loss of lower-body strength due to his knee was a major reason for his troubles.
Both quarterback Drake Maye and left tackle Campbell were stymied by injuries in the season's final games and in their Super Bowl performances. Discounting those injuries does a gross disservice to these young players.
If they're healthy as expected in 2026, they'll be out to prove all the myopic naysayers about them and the Patriots wrong. Expect that they both will do that.
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