Will Campbell Owns Super Bowl Struggles, Eyes Growth After Tough Debut
The Super Bowl spotlight can be unforgiving - especially when you're a rookie left tackle tasked with protecting your franchise quarterback. For Will Campbell, that spotlight turned into a floodlight during the Patriots’ 29-13 loss to the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX. Campbell gave up a sack and was credited with over a dozen pressures in a game where New England’s offensive line struggled mightily to keep Drake Maye upright.
After the game, Campbell declined to speak to the media - a move that drew criticism alongside his on-field performance. But this week, the 2025 first-round pick broke his silence and took full accountability for both his play and his decision to stay quiet in the moment.
“When I get emotional, I tend to have no mind,” Campbell admitted. “And that’s not the way that I need to approach this thing. I know myself, and if I would have spoken after, I would have said something that I didn’t need to say.”
That’s a level of self-awareness you don’t always see from a 21-year-old rookie coming off the biggest game - and toughest night - of his young career. Campbell didn’t shy away from the criticism that’s come his way, either.
“It comes with the job,” he said. “When you don’t perform - obviously, I was [drafted] high, paid a lot.
So people expect a certain thing, and I expect more of myself. So whenever I don’t perform, I don’t expect everyone to be like, ‘It’s OK, buddy.’
I mean, obviously, it sucks. But it doesn’t suck for anyone more than it sucks for me.”
That raw honesty reflects a player who understands the weight of his role. Campbell was brought in to be a cornerstone of the Patriots’ offensive line - a protector for Maye and a tone-setter up front. But in the biggest game of the year, the entire unit faltered.
To be fair, it wasn’t just Campbell. The Patriots surrendered six sacks and allowed constant pressure throughout the night. Maye was under siege from the first snap, and if not for a few second-half sparks, New England might’ve flirted with the ignominy of being the first team ever shut out in a Super Bowl.
Still, Campbell’s performance stood out - and not in a good way. The backlash was swift, with some even calling for his job.
But head coach Mike Vrabel quickly shut down that noise, backing his young tackle publicly this week. Vrabel knows what he has in Campbell: a talented, physical lineman who had a rough game on the biggest stage, but has the tools - and now the motivation - to bounce back stronger.
Let’s not forget, the Patriots’ offensive line wasn’t exactly dominant throughout the 2025 season. Maye was sacked over 45 times, going down on more than eight percent of his dropbacks. That’s a number that tells a bigger story - one that stretches beyond just one player or one game.
Campbell is expected to be a big part of the solution going forward. He has the pedigree, the physical traits, and now, the humbling experience of a Super Bowl loss to fuel his growth.
There’s no sugarcoating it - he struggled. But the way he’s addressing it now?
That’s the kind of mindset you want in your locker room.
There will be pressure in 2026. Every misstep will be magnified.
But Campbell’s already shown he’s willing to face the music. Now, it’s about turning that accountability into action - and proving that one rough night doesn’t define a career.