New England Patriots
“It always could be worse. Just take it day by day.”
Patriots fans feared the worst on Sunday after starting left tackle Will Campbell appeared to suffer a severe knee injury during New England’s win over the Raiders.
The second-year pro didn’t return after Rhamondre Stevenson landed on the back of his right knee in the second quarter of Sunday’s win — with the 2025 first-round pick gingerly making his way off the field.
The optics were concerning, considering it was the same knee that Campbell suffered a torn MCL on last season — forcing him to miss a sizable amount of games down the stretch and hindering his play in the postseason.
The expectation was that Campbell would be on the mend for some time, with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reporting Sunday evening that the offensive lineman would be sidelined with a knee sprain.
But despite that reported diagnosis, Campbell was a limited participant during Wednesday’s practice — with the 22-year-old lineman leaving New England’s locker room in full uniform with cleats ahead of the full-squad session in Foxborough.
Although he wasn’t part of the main group during the media portion of Wednesday’s practice, his listing on the injury report at least signals that Campbell is participating in some football activities.
Drake Maye wasn’t surprised to see Campbell back on the practice fields on Wednesday, just a few days after suffering what looked like a serious injury.
“I like to claim I’m from the South and Will’s from the South, so he’s tough,” Maye said. “I think you respect guys, especially on the offensive line, of how much they go through, wear and tear. … Props to him.
“Guys are playing through stuff and that’s kind of the mentality,” he added. “[Need] to be smart, but at the same time you wanna be out there with your guys. That’s an example of what Will is, and you go to battle with those guys.”
Even with the concerns of Campbell suffering a similar injury as last season, Campbell noted on Wednesday that he could tell right away this new setback isn’t as dour.
Despite exiting the game in the second quarter, Campbell did return to the field and rode a stationary bike in the second half before eventually getting ruled out for the rest of the afternoon.
“I was pissed off. But as [expletive] as it is, it’s part of this game,” Campbell said. “It’s part of playing positions we play. Stuff happens and just got to hope that the chips kind of fall your way.”
“I could definitely tell a difference from this year to last year,” he added of the injury. “It’s solid. We’ll be all right.”
It remains to be seen if Campbell will be cleared in time for Sunday’s game against the Jets. New England has a compressed schedule ahead, with a Thursday Night Football matchup in Chicago on Oct. 22.
While Campbell seems ahead of schedule in his recovery, New England has rookie Caleb Lomu in place to step in as the team’s starting left tackle— while fellow tackle Marcus Bryant was designated to return from injured reserve Wednesday and seems to be inching back.
“It always could be worse,” Campbell said. “Just take it day by day. Not going to put any expectations on anything. Just trust my body, see how I’m feeling, ramping up and things like that and see what happens.”
Here is New England’s full injury report:
DID NOT PARTICIPATE
CB Karon Prunty – Hamstring
CB Carlton Davis – Neck
LIMITED PARTICIPATION
S Kevin Byard III – Chest
WR A.J. Brown – Ankle
T Marcus Bryant – Ankle
T Will Campbell – Knee
CB Channing Canada – Hamstring
LB Christian Elliss – Chest
CB Christian Gonzalez – Shoulder
RB TreVeyon Henderson – Ankle
LB Dre’Mont Jones – Shoulder
CB Marcus Jones – Ankle
T Morgan Moses – Foot
CB Charles Woods – Shoulder
S Craig Woodson – Shoulder
FULL PARTICIPATION
QB Drake Maye – Right Shoulder
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