The writing was on the wall, and on Wednesday the move was made official. Will Campbell, the New England Patriots’ starting left tackle, has been placed on injured reserve.
The Patriots’ first-round draft
pick earlier this year, Campbell suffered a reported sprained MCL in his right knee during in the third quarter of last week’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals. While the initial outlook appeared grim, there is hope that the 21-year-old will be able to return to the active roster further down the line.
For now, however, let’s find out what the move means for the team.
Vederian Lowe’s time to shine
Mike Vrabel was initially noncommittal about who would replace Campbell at the left tackle position, even though Vederian Lowe always seemed like the most realistic candidate. Lowe had filled in for the rookie after he went down against the Bengals, and was the most established non-starting tackle on the roster or practice squad.
On Wednesday, Vrabel finally announced him as New England’s left tackle for the foreseeable future.
“I think the plan right now would be to go with Vederian coming out of that game, and Marcus [Bryant] will be ready to go,” he said.
Lowe originally entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft pick by the Vikings in 2022, and the following year joined the Patriots via trade. He started 21 combined games over his first two seasons with the team, but his struggles led to the team picking Campbell fourth overall in this year’s draft.
Now, Lowe — who revealed that he had played through a torn labrum down the stretch in 2024 — is back in the starting lineup. He won’t threaten Campbell’s standing on the team, but will have a golden opportunity to help the team stay on course while simultaneously showcasing himself with free agency awaiting after the season.
Rough stretch ahead
Much has been made about the Patriots’ supposedly soft schedule this year. While it is true that their opponents’ combined win percentage up to this point in the season is the lowest in the NFL (.346), they will be going up against some talented teams down the stretch. Campbell, of course, will be out for at least the first four of the five games remaining on New England’s regular season schedule.
Those games are as follows, separated by the Patriots’ bye between Weeks 13 and 15.
- Week 13: vs. New York Giants — 8:15 p.m. ET Monday, Dec. 1
- Week 15: vs. Buffalo Bills — 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Dec. 14
- Week 16: at Baltimore Ravens — 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Dec. 21
- Week 17: at New York Jets — 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Dec. 28
Campbell will be eligible to return for the Week 18 matchup with the Miami Dolphins, although his recovery status will determine how realistic that goal is. At that point, he will be six weeks removed from spraining his MCL.
The Patriots, who are almost guaranteed a playoff spot at this time, will then play their first postseason game either the following weekend or — if they hold onto the No. 1 seed — two weeks later. In that second scenario, eight full weeks will have passed since the date of the injury.
Second shoe to drop
Campbell moving to IR is the latest transaction following the Patriots’ game in Cincinnati. On Tuesday, the team already added some offensive tackle depth to the mix in the form of one-time practice squad member Thayer Munford Jr. The 26-year-old provides an extra body at the position, joining the new starting duo of Vederian Lowe and Morgan Moses, backup Marcus Bryant and practice squad option Sebastian Gutierrez.
The Patriots’ moves over the last two days were not quite as simple as replacing Campbell with Munford Jr, though. They also involved some personnel shuffling at the cornerback position: Alex Austin, the No. 5 at the position, was moved to injured reserve to open up a space on the 53-man roster for Munford Jr. Campbell’s roster spot, meanwhile, went to cornerback Miles Battle, who was promoted from the practice squad.
Battle’s own spot, meanwhile, was filled by rookie CB Brandon Crossley. Add it all up and the Patriots are back at square one in terms of quantity of players at both offensive tackle and cornerback.
All eyes on Jared Wilson now
Campbell was not the only starting offensive lineman to go down against the Bengals. Just three snaps into the game, left guard Jared Wilson suffered what was later diagnosed as a high ankle sprain. With the third-round draft pick considered week-to-week, his status will also be kept a close eye on.
Wilson will be out against the New York Giants this week, Mike Vrabel confirmed, but his status beyond that particular game is to be determined. As with Campbell, though, the Patriots entering their bye in 14 is helpful in that it gives both players some extra time to heal before their respective returns to action.
What is clear, though, is that the Patriots will be playing at least one game and likely more with a brand-new left side of the line. Vederian Lowe will take over for Will Campbell for at least the upcoming four contests, with Ben Brown the next man up to replace Wilson.
