From the day he was drafted, when he vowed to protect Patriots quarterback Drake Maye so completely he would “die” for him, it’s been very easy for the locals to really like left tackle Will Campbell, this year’s No. 4 overall pick. It got easier when Campbell took the field and showed steady improvement throughout the season, signaling he could be Maye’s blind-side protector for a long, long time.
And now that he is hurt, with an MCL injury that has landed him on the injured list and will keep him out four games, minimum–he could potentially return for the season finale against Miami, or the playoffs thereafter–it’s easy to root for Campbell’s return. He can’t come back early now that he is on the IR, but for Campbell, the plan is to keep his stint away as brief as possible.
As if to drive home that point, Campbell went on Instagram on Friday and posted a photo of himself from New England’s Week 12 win over the Jets with just three letters: “BRB.”
Will Campbell Could Be Back for Patriots Season Finale
That means, of course, “Be Right Back.” If only that were true, especially against the imposing pass-rushers of the Giants, the team next up on the Patriots schedule, in a “Monday Night Football” showdown.
And while that is certainly the hope for Campbell, the Patriots have some big games to get through without him if they want to keep their hold atop the AFC intact. After the Giants, the team gets its bye week (finally) and then its toughest two-game gauntlet, with the Bills coming to Foxboro and a road trip to Baltimore–which just lost on Thanksgiving to the Patriots’ Week 12 foe, the Bengals.
The initial plan is to replace Campbell with veteran Vederian Lowe, and to replace fellow rookie guard Jared Wilson (ankle sprain) with Ben Brown, the pair that filled in for them when they were injured in Cincinnati.
Patriots Will Campbell Replacement Was Hurt in 2024
Lowe is a much-maligned tackle who bears the stench of recent Patriots offensive-line disasters, and does not engender much confidence from the fan base. But he made a remarkable revelation this week to MassLive’s Mark Daniels: He played much of last season with a nasty shoulder injury.
Lowe, a sixth-round pick in 2023, is one of just four former Bill Belichick offensive players to have survived on the roster to this point in 2025. He managed that despite putting up less-than-ideal production for the offensive line in 2024, which was rated as the worst offensive line in football at Pro Football Focus.
But Lowe felt he had to play through pain because if he didn’t, his NFL career might well be cut short.
‘I Had a Torn Laburm’
Thus, for the many Patriots backers who have wrung their hands over the re-introduction of Lowe into their lives, there is ample reason to give him a second chance. Here’s what he told Daniels this week:
“I had a torn labrum from last year that I played with. It was just rough trying to finish the year out. I got surgery. My first offseason dealing with a major injury, trying to get myself back. I was proud of getting myself back, being able to be productive, and securing a spot here. I think the work that I put in was good for the coaches to trust me enough to put me in there.
“So, the opportunity means everything.”
Pull for Lowe, then, until Campbell can BRB.
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