The New England Patriots appear to have dodged a bullet when it comes to left tackle Will Campbell's injury.
Campbell sustained a knee injury in the third quarter of the Week 12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. It looked like the worst-case scenario for Campbell at first because he was clearly distraught while being carted to the locker room.
But NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Monday that Campbell is just dealing with an MCL sprain, which makes him a candidate for injured reserve but will not knock him out for the rest of the season.
Head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed that Campbell's injury isn't likely to be a season-ending issue.
“He won’t be out there this week and it’s gonna be a couple weeks. We’ll have to make a decision here on the roster to see how long that’ll be," he said of his left tackle. "But, it’s nothing that’s gonna hopefully put him out for the entire season.”
Will Campbell return timeline
The Athletic's Dianna Russini reports that Campbell is expected to miss at least four weeks with his injury and an IR trip is likely as a result.
"New England Patriots rookie left tackle Will Campbell is expected to miss at least four weeks with a knee injury and will most likely land on injured reserve," she reported on Wednesday.
The biggest concern right now is Campbell making it back in time for the playoffs.
At 10-2, New England should have no issue securing a playoff spot without him, whether it's by winning the division or grabbing a wild card spot.
Luckily, the Patriots still have five more games and six more weeks before the playoffs begin, so there's ample time for Campbell to get back.
And, if the Patriots can secure the No. 1 seed and the bye in the AFC, that will give Campbell yet another week to get right before New England takes the field for a playoff game.
If Campbell is placed on IR before the Week 13 game against the New York Giants and only needs the minimum four weeks, he would be able to return for the Week 18 contest against the Miami Dolphins (New England has a bye in Week 14 and that doesn't count against the four-game minimum).
Ideally, Campbell gets back and plays in one regular season game before the playoffs so he isn't knocking off the rust in such an important game.
Regardless, Campbell's chances of making it back by the Patriots' first playoff game are looking good.
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