New England Patriots
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New England Patriots
New England Patriots rookie offensive tackle Will Campbell is receiving criticism for how he played in Sunday’s Super Bowl LX loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Now, NFL defensive star Maxx Crosby is coming to his defense.
Campbell allowed 14 pressures in Sunday’s game, as he had trouble protecting quarterback Drake Mays blindside. The Patriots’ offensive line struggled throughout the course of the evening, allowing six sacks on the evening.
With that being said, Campbell’s struggles did not solely occur in the Super Bowl. The LSU product struggled throughout the course of the playoffs. He allowed four sacks in the postseason, as reported by Boston.com. It was a test for the rookie, as he went up against some of the best defensive lines in the NFL.
Criticism of Campbell continued well after Sunday’s game. He did not elect to speak to the media. Coach Mike Vrabel shot down the notion that he can switch to guard and that he would be the team’s left tackle for the foreseeable future.
Crosby defends New England Patriots rookie
Crosby spoke on “The Rush” Podcast earlier this week and talked about what he believes the next steps for Campbell should be.
“I don’t think you just panic and move him to guard right away. I think there’s some technical things that he needs to work on. I think his confidence needs a lot of working on. I don’t think you panic and just say ‘Alright, now you’re a guard.’ Like you picked him top-five to be a top-five pick at tackle.
I think you get in offseason work with him, get the coaching get the development right. I know they got great coaches over there. They got to get him right, and confidence comes from preparation. I think they do a great job over there with that in New England, so I don’t think you pull the trigger yet.”
Crosby certainly knows a thing or two about stellar offensive linemen. He has established himself as one of the best rushers in the NFL. He has recorded 69.5 sacks and 439 total tackles in 110 games played. This included a stellar season in 2025 that saw him record 10 sacks. This marked the third year in his career in which he tallied at least 10 sacks on the year.
NFL community advising New England Patriots rookie
NFL legends have reached out to Campbell over the past couple of weeks and offered to help train him. Terron Armstead and Willie Anderson offered to help teach Campbell on social media. Anderson noted that Campbell should model his game after Armstead, as the rookie enters what should be a promising second season.
When Maxx Crosby says something about an offensive lineman, it is probably worth a listen. He has become one of the best defenders in the NFL and knows how to get the best of offensive linemen. It will be interesting to see where he ends up this offseason. Rumors have swirled about him potentially coming to the Patriots. One has to wonder if he will give this advice to Campbell in person sooner rather than later.