The New England Patriots won their ninth straight game on Sunday, albeit in ugly fashion, pressing past the Cincinnati Bengals 26-20 at PayCor Stadium. The win raised the Patriotsâ record to an NFL-best 10-2, giving them, at least for now, the top spot in the AFC playoff seedings â an impressive showing for a team that won just four games last season, and four the season before that.
But while the six-time Super Bowl champs will take it, the victory came at a steep and painful price. The Patriots lost three key players to injuries including two important members of the offensive line whose pass-rush protection has allowed sophomore quarterback Drake Maye to lead the NFL in passing yards (2,836 prior to Sunday) and passer rating among QBs who have started at least eight games (113.2).
The Patriots lost left guard Jared Wilson early in the game to an ankle injury. Wilson was seen after the game leaving the PayCor Stadium visitors’ locker room wearing a walking boot.
Concerning Injury to No. 4 Draft Pick
But even more concerning was the injury to rookie left tackle Will Campbell, the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft. Campbell left the game in the third quarter with what appeared to be a knee injury.
Campbell is scheduled for an MRI examination on Monday, according to a report by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Sports injury expert Dr. Jesse Morse reported that “the most likely diagnosis is an MCL sprain. There are two possible supplemental injuries here: meniscus, which is often injured in moderate MCL sprains, and sometimes the ACL is injured as well. Best case scenario he returns after the bye, in three weeks.”
Campbell Not Seen After Game
“The first-round draft pick remained on the ground following a TreVeyon Henderson run, receiving medical assistance on the field,” reported Bernd Buchmasser of Pats Pulpit. “While he did slowly walk off under his own power, Campbell was carted to the locker room after a brief stint in the blue medical tent.”
But after being examined in the blue medical tent, Campbell was seen sitting on a cart apparently in an emotional state with a towel over his head, concealing his facial expression. The cart then drove him to the locker room. According to a report by NESN.com, Campbell was not seen again by media members granted access to the Patriots locker room after the game.
Doctor: Campbell Out As Long as 8 Weeks
While Patriots coach Mike Vrabel offered no update or information on Campbell in his postgame press availability, sports injury expert and former NFL team physician Dr. David J. Chao of Sports Injury Central offered a blunt but somewhat optimistic assessment, saying that he did not believe Campbell was finished for the 2025 season.
However, Chao said that in his opinion, Campbell suffered an injury to his medial collateral ligament, or MCL, the major ligament on the inner knee.
“While we do not know the severity of the injury at this time, recovery timelines for a right MCL injury vary widely,” Chao wrote on the Sports Injury Central site. “Mild sprains often require 2-4 weeks, while more significant tears can take 6-8 weeks or longer. With Campbell potentially missing multiple weeks, the injury is clearly more than day-to-day but does not currently appear season-ending, and the Patriots medical staff will monitor his progress closely.”
Maye Believes Campbell, Wilson Will Be Back
It should be noted that Chao’s opinion is based only on his examination of video, and is not an official update from the Patriots.
But based on Chao’s opinion, Campbell could be back as soon as Week 17 when the Patriots play their second game against the New York Jets.
For what it’s worth, Maye also offered an optimistic assessment of the injuries to both Campbell and Wilson.
âTheyâll bounce back and help us down the road,â Maye told the media, as quoted by Boston Herald reporter Doug Kyed.
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