New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots welcomed back Will Campbell right in time for the playoffs.
Campbell missed four games with a knee injury before returning in Week 18. The rookie offensive tackle played 45 snaps in Sunday’s 38-10 win over the Miami Dolphins, putting him on track to play in New England’s first-round postseason showdown against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Campbell discussed his time away from the team with Alex Francisco on “Patriots Unfiltered.”
“It was terrible,” Campbell said. “The first time I ever missed games in my life, so watching from the sideline is not fun.”
However, the 22-year-old is relieved that he didn’t sustain a more significant injury that cost him the playoffs. Campbell initially feared a bad diagnosis after exiting New England’s Week 12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Whenever I first went down, the first thing I thought about was that I was down for the year,” Campbell said. “I automatically thought the worst when they started grabbing at my knee. No matter how long I had to sit out, I was just grateful and thankful that I was able to come back at some point.
“That makes you not take anything for granted, especially when the game’s never been taken away from you before. When it happens, you kind of don’t know what to do with yourself for a little bit. But I’m just glad to be back.”
Drake Maye and the Patriots are also glad to have Campbell back in the fold. The No. 4 pick began his NFL career by grading 32nd among eligible tackles on Pro Football Focus, allowing five quarterback hits and sacks in 782 snaps.
The Patriots host the Chargers this Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
