I don't know if any player has been more disrespected after the New England Patriots' season ended than second-year left tackle Will Campbell.
The rookie was holding his own in 2025 until an MCL tear landed him on the sideline for the final five weeks of the season. The knee was far from healed when Campbell returned to the lineup for the postseason.
Campbell then, rightfully so, came under serious fire when his play did not live up to expectations in the playoffs and quarterback Drake Maye was hit more than any other quarterback in history.
His poor postseason performance led to an offseason of questions over his future on Maye's blind side.
USA Today's Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote an article examining nine second-year players that he believes are under the most pressure in 2026 after what he believes were "rough" rookie seasons. The very first name on Middlehurst-Schwartz's list was Will Campbell.
"Campbell was routinely exploited by some of the league's edge rushers. Next Gen Stats credited him with 29 pressures allowed, 14 of which came in a Super Bowl unraveling by the left tackle and New England's offense," Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote.
"Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf fended off questions of a potential move to guard for the short-armed blocker, pinning the postseason problems primarily on Campbell's strength being sapped by his injury rather than his oft-mentioned subpar arm length... But if Campbell falters in the fall, questions of fit are sure to be reignited."
They always say pressure is a privilege. But it does seem unfair how much criticism the rookie is receiving after being the starting left tackle on an AFC Championship roster.
I believe Patriots fans should be backing their tackle one hundred percent, rather than fueling the questions about his physical ability to play left tackle.
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