Will Campbell faces pivotal offseason after Super Bowl struggles and knee injury reveal

Will Campbell’s rookie season ended with a harsh spotlight: a difficult Super Bowl performance that drew immediate criticism, followed by a candid explanation that he played through a significant knee ligament injury. Now the New England left tackle enters the offseason with two urgent goals—getting fully healthy and proving his long-term fit at the league’s most demanding offensive line position.

Campbell, 22, was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 draft and started extensively as a rookie. The team’s leadership has already signaled it plans to stay the course with him at left tackle, framing 2026 as the real measuring stick after a season that included both early promise and late-season turbulence.

A rough Super Bowl and the injury context

In the Super Bowl loss on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026 (ET), Campbell endured one of the toughest outings of his young career. The Patriots’ protection repeatedly broke down on the left side, and Campbell was credited by tracking data with allowing a season-high number of quarterback pressures in a single game.

Two days later, on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026 (ET), Campbell told reporters he had been dealing with a torn knee ligament suffered during the regular season. He described trying to manage the injury well enough to return for the stretch run and playoffs—an explanation that adds context but doesn’t erase the tape.

For offensive tackles, knee stability is foundational: it affects leverage, anchor strength against power rushers, and the ability to mirror speed off the edge. Even a small limitation can snowball into late hands, compromised footwork, and penalties or pressures that don’t show up as obvious “injury moments.”

The Patriots’ stance: left tackle is still the plan

Speculation about moving Campbell inside to guard has followed him since the postseason, but head coach Mike Vrabel publicly pushed back this week. The message from the coaching staff has been consistent: Campbell is viewed as a left tackle, and the organization expects a full offseason of recovery and development to matter more than an emergency position switch based on a single bad night.

That stance is meaningful because teams often use a player’s first offseason to “reset” technique—rebuilding footwork, hand placement, and timing—without the weekly physical grind. It’s also when a young lineman can add functional strength and refine film-study habits, both of which are essential for handling elite pass rushers and complex blitz looks.

What the knee injury means for his timeline

Campbell’s knee injury sent him to injured reserve late in the season, costing him multiple games, before he returned for the final regular-season stretch and the playoffs. The key question now is whether his rehab is straightforward or whether lingering instability will require more aggressive treatment.

Because the team hasn’t announced a surgical plan publicly, the safest assumption is that the medical staff will prioritize full recovery and prevention. For a left tackle, the offseason is less about rushing back and more about ensuring the base is solid enough to withstand 600–1,000 high-leverage snaps.

A “healthy but not 100%” tackle can survive in spurts; a championship offense usually can’t.

The development checklist for 2026

Campbell’s coaching points are likely to cluster in three areas:

• Set consistency: avoiding oversets that open inside counters while still cutting off pure speed.

• Anchor mechanics: reestablishing knee bend and hip roll so bull rushes don’t collapse the pocket.

• Pressure recognition: improving communication and response to overload looks that stress the left side.

The Patriots can help him by tightening protections, varying launch points, and using chips when matchups demand it—but the goal is for Campbell to win more one-on-ones cleanly. That’s the standard for a franchise left tackle.

Key dates that shaped his rookie year

What comes next for Campbell and the Patriots

The immediate offseason storyline is whether Campbell’s knee can return to full strength without setbacks. Close behind that is how the Patriots build around him—because a young left tackle often develops best when the rest of the line is stable and the offense has answers for pressure.

Campbell’s own comments suggest he understands the gap between “playing” and “playing well,” especially at left tackle. If he enters training camp healthy, the focus will shift quickly from the Super Bowl tape to whether his technique looks cleaner, his base is sturdier, and his confidence is back.

For the Patriots, sticking with Campbell at left tackle is a bet on the long arc: elite size and college pedigree, plus rookie-season experience, turning into dependable protection. 2026 will be the season that decides whether that bet becomes a foundation—or whether the team has to rethink the plan.

Sources consulted: NFL.com, ESPN, NBC Boston, Patriots.com