Patriots Stand Behind Injured Rookie Campbell Despite Super Bowl Struggles

New England Patriots officials are defending first-round draft pick Will Campbell after his difficult playoff performance, citing a lingering knee injury that hampered his play. The team plans to keep Campbell at left tackle despite criticism following the Super Bowl loss.

New England Patriots General Manager Eliot Wolf addressed concerns about rookie offensive lineman Will Campbell’s future with the team during Tuesday’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Campbell faced harsh criticism following his struggles during the playoffs and Super Bowl LX, where many observers felt he appeared overwhelmed. However, team officials revealed that the 2025 first-round selection was still dealing with effects from a knee injury that diminished his physical capabilities.

“When he came back from that injury, I personally didn’t see the same level of lower-body strength you saw before the injury,” Wolf explained during his combine appearance. “Before that I think Will played really well all year. The film would attest to that. He probably had three of his four worst games in the playoffs.”

The young tackle sustained the knee injury that landed him on injured reserve following Week 12. Campbell acknowledged after the Super Bowl that his recovery wasn’t complete when the team reactivated him for Week 18.

“I obviously wasn’t 100 percent” during the postseason, Campbell admitted. “I mean, I don’t think when you tear a ligament in your knee, it’s not going to be how it was before, but I was healthy enough to go. I’m not going to say that it held me back, but yeah, it wasn’t the same as it was before, obviously. But I was good.”

Wolf dismissed any speculation about repositioning Campbell to guard, despite the rookie’s challenging performance against Seattle in the Super Bowl loss, where he surrendered 14 pass-rush pressures – the highest total for any player during the 2025 season.

“We’re not moving him to guard,” Wolf stated firmly. “He really couldn’t anchor the same way he did pre-injury. 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.”

The Patriots selected Campbell with the fourth overall pick in 2025, despite concerns about his arm length measurements. Initially measuring 32 5/8 inches at the NFL Combine – below the 33-inch threshold most teams prefer for tackles – Campbell’s measurement reached exactly 33 inches at LSU’s pro day.

Head Coach Mike Vrabel also expressed confidence in keeping Campbell at left tackle. Vrabel drew comparisons to former Patriots tackle Matt Light, who protected Tom Brady despite having similar arm length concerns in the 33-inch range. Both Vrabel and Light were teammates on New England’s Super Bowl championship teams in 2001, 2003, and 2004.