Rookie Patriots offensive tackle Will Campbell is peeling back the curtain on the severity of a knee injury he sustained during the season in the lead-up to a forgettable performance in Super Bowl 2026.
Speaking to the media Tuesday, the 22-year-old Campbell revealed he suffered a torn ligament in his knee in a Week 12 win against the Bengals and detailed how he navigated the injury in the postseason, which concluded Sunday with a 29-13 loss to the Seahawks.
“It obviously wasn’t 100%,” he said, according to Mass Live. “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.”
Campbell was initially placed on IR in late November before returning for the regular-season finale against the Dolphins in Week 18.
Upon making his playoff debut in January, the 2025 first-round pick was met with criticism for his play in New England’s wild-card win over the Chargers.
Although he opted to tune out the noise, the chatter intensified Sunday after a woeful performance against Seattle’s relentless defense, when Campbell allowed 14 QB pressures — the most allowed by a player across the 2025 season, according to NFL.com.
Campbell, who did not speak to reporters following the Super Bowl, acknowledged the widespread critique.
“I mean, it comes with the job when you don’t perform,” Campbell said. “Obviously, I was picked high, paid a lot, so people expect a certain thing, and I expect more myself. So, whenever I don’t perform, I don’t expect everyone to be like, ‘It’s okay, buddy.’ I mean, obviously it sucks, but it doesn’t suck for anyone more than it sucks for me.”
The fourth overall pick in last year’s draft out of LSU, Campbell only allowed five sacks across 12 games prior to the knee injury, according to Mass Live.
The Patriots, guided by first-year coach Mike Vrabel, finished the regular season at 14-3 while claiming their first AFC East title since 2019.
As the Patriots look to build on an impressive run in 2025, Campbell is looking ahead and leaving Sunday’s Super Bowl in the rearview.
“I slept on it, I watched it,” he said, per NFL.com. “I know what I got to get better at and I’ll move on.”