The Patriots will officially be without their starting left tackle for the foreseeable future. New England is placing rookie tackle Will Campbell on injured reserve after he was carted off the field in Sunday’s win over the Bengals due to a knee injury.
Mike Vrabel says the #Patriots are placing LT Will Campbell on injured reserve.
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) November 26, 2025
The No. 4 pick out of LSU, Campbell has already become a steady force in pass protection for second-year quarterback Drake Maye. Campbell is the Patriots’ highest-graded offensive linemen in pass protection according to Pro Football Focus, and is already top-20 among NFL tackles. After getting placed on IR, Campbell will not be able to return until at least Week 18, when the Patriots are slated to face the Dolphins.
Along with Campbell, fellow rookie offensive lineman Jared Wilson exited the Bengals game with an ankle injury, but he is not expected to miss as much time as Campbell will.
The offensive line injuries come as the Patriots are 10-2 and looking to both win their division and the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Patriots are currently riding a nine-game winning streak, but these injuries could prove costly to their goals. Though Maye has had a spectacular sophomore season, he is susceptible to taking sacks, taking 37 this season, tied for the sixth-most in the league. Losing Campbell and Wilson for a period could potentially result in him taking even more sacks.
Fortunately for the Patriots, they still have one of the easier schedules remaining. Even if Maye does take more sacks, it won’t necessarily cost them wins or the division crown. Their most challenging opponents left are the Bills and Ravens, but both teams are certainly beatable opponents, regardless of the team’s current injury status.
Losing Campbell hurts, and getting the offensive line healthy for the start of the postseason will be imperative for the Patriots, but they should be able to withstand his injury for the remainder of the regular season
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