Will Campbell’s remarkable rookie year in the 2025 NFL season was greatly stained by his performance in Super Bowl LX. Simply put, the New England Patriots were blown out of the water by the Seattle Seahawks.
Still, it was Campbell who took the worst beating, as he tried—and mostly failed—to contain the pass rush coming off Drake Maye’s blindside. Such was the stir around the league over the rookie left tackle’s performance that Mike Vrabel felt compelled to address the topic with a stern announcement.
“He is 22 years old. He’s our left tackle,” Vrabel re-assured Campbell of his future with the Patriots, via @MySportsUpdate on X. “We’re not moving him to guard or center or tight end or anywhere else. I don’t know what else to tell you.”
In times of adversity, the Patriots must rally and stay united. Their head coach is well aware of that. Therefore, it’s no surprise Vrabel sent Maye a clear message about his performance in Super Bowl LX, voicing encouraging words, rather than dropping destructive criticism.
HC Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots
Buzz around Campbell
Coming into the 2025 NFL season, there was widespread speculation surrounding Campbell. Although the LSU tackle was widely regarded as the top offensive lineman entering the Draft, concerns lingered about his body type—specifically, the length of his arms. According to USA Today, Campbell’s arms measure 32 5/8 inches. Moreover, his 77 3/8-inch wingspan was reportedly the shortest recorded at the NFL Combine since 2011.
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Drake Maye issues bold reminder to Stefon Diggs, Patriots about turning the page after Super Bowl LX loss in 2026
Still, the Patriots looked past those concerns—and analysts’ suggestions that he should shift inside to guard—and selected him fourth overall, entrusting him with the left tackle role, the most critical position on the offensive line for a right-handed quarterback. Many believe his struggles in Super Bowl LX had little to do with arm length and were instead the result of inconsistent footwork and poor timing in his punch against edge rushers.
Regardless of what went wrong, Vrabel and the Patriots are not throwing in the towel on Campbell, who later admitted to playing through a knee ligament injury in the Super Bowl. Most likely, the coaching staff was aware of the issue. If not, it would signal a problem far greater than anything related to arm length or wingspan.
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