The Patriots received a significant, albeit mixed, injury update regarding rookie left tackle Will Campbell, who was carted off the field in the third quarter of Sunday’s 26-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Initial fears of a season-ending injury, heightened by the rookie’s visible distress as he was helped off, appear to have been avoided.

According to reports, Campbell is believed to have suffered an MCL sprain, which an MRI will confirm. This is a much better outcome than a torn ACL, and provides hope that the team’s fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft could return before the end of the end of the season, possibly for the playoffs.

While the injury is not season-ending, Campbell is expected to miss time. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel stated on Monday that he would not imagine Campbell playing in the upcoming Monday night game and suggested the injury is “going to probably be more than a week or two.” Campbell is a candidate to be placed on injured reserve, which would necessitate a minimum four-game absence. This multi-week recovery timeline, which for a typical MCL sprain can range from two to eight weeks depending on the grade, forces the Patriots to make a difficult decision on their promising blind-side protector.

The Patriots will undoubtedly miss their starting left tackle, who has been a consistent presence on the offensive line this season, starting virtually every snap, playing around 98.3% of snaps before the injury. Campbell’s absence significantly impacts the offensive line’s stability, especially considering the team relies heavily on him to protect quarterback Drake Maye’s blind side. Campbell’s performance in the Bengals game was strong, with no pressures allowed in 27 pass-blocking snaps before his exit.

Vedarian Lowe replaced Campbell and is expected to start in his place. Lowe, whose tenure with the Patriots since being acquired in the summer of 2023 has been up-and-down, promptly allowed two pressures on his first drive, though he settled down afterward. The drop-off from Campbell to Lowe is evident.

The challenge is compounded by the fact that starting left guard Jared Wilson also left the game with an ankle injury, leaving the potential for the left side of the offensive line to be manned by Lowe and veteran Ben Brown. Relying on Lowe and Brown as replacements for meaningful snaps presents a substantial challenge for a New England team that has extended its winning streak to nine games.

While Campbell’s injury is not catastrophic, his absence still deals a blow to a team that is 10-2 and hoping to maintain its position as the AFC’s number one seed.