Pats Pulpit
The writing was on the wall, and on Wednesday the move was made official. Will Campbell, the New England Patriots’ starting left tackle, has been placed on injured reserve.
The Patriots’ first-round draft pick earlier this year, Campbell suffered a reported sprained MCL in his right knee during in the third quarter of last week’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals. While the initial outlook appeared grim, there is hope that the 21-year-old will be able to return to the active roster further down the line.
For now, however, let’s find out what the move means for the team.
Mike Vrabel was initially noncommittal about who would replace Campbell at the left tackle position, even though Vederian Lowe always seemed like the most realistic candidate. Lowe had filled in for the rookie after he went down against the Bengals, and was the most established non-starting tackle on the roster or practice squad.
On Wednesday, Vrabel finally announced him as New England’s left tackle for the foreseeable future.
“I think the plan right now would be to go with Vederian coming out of that game, and Marcus [Bryant] will be ready to go,” he said.
Lowe originally entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft pick by the Vikings in 2022, and the following year joined the Patriots via trade. He started 21 combined games over his first two seasons with the team, but his struggles led to the team picking Campbell fourth overall in this year’s draft.
Now, Lowe — who revealed that he had played through a torn labrum down the stretch in 2024 — is back in the starting lineup. He won’t threaten Campbell’s standing on the team, but will have a golden opportunity to help the team stay on course while simultaneously showcasing himself with free agency awaiting after the season.
Much has been made about the Patriots’ supposedly soft schedule this year. While it is true that their opponents’ combined win percentage up to this point in the season is the lowest in the NFL (.346), they will be going up against some talented teams down the stretch. Campbell, of course, will be out for at least the first four of the five games remaining on New England’s regular season schedule.
Those games are as follows, separated by the Patriots’ bye between Weeks 13 and 15.
Campbell will be eligible to return for the Week 18 matchup with the Miami Dolphins, although his recovery status will determine how realistic that goal is. At that point, he will be six weeks removed from spraining his MCL.
The Patriots, who are almost guaranteed a playoff spot...
