New England Patriots rookie left tackle Will Campbell was expected to miss multiple games after suffering a sprained MCL in Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals. That expectation will become a reality on Wednesday, with head coach Mike Vrabel sharing during his Wednesday afternoon press conference that the team will be placing Campbell on injured reserve.
Once that placement is made official (daily transactions are officially announced at 5:00 p.m. ET), Campbell will officially be out for four games (not weeks, as we explained in this week’s Patriots Mailbag). The earliest he’d be eligible to return is the season finale against the Miami Dolphins.
With Campbell out, Vrabel said the plan is to start Vederian Lowe at left tackle. Lowe started 13 games for the Patriots last season, and has been Campbell’s backup in 2025. Against the Bengals after Campbell went out Lowe played 28 snaps and allowed two pressures. The Patriots also have rookie Marcus Bryant, and added Thayer Munford in free agency on Tuesday.
To fill Campbell’s roster spot, Vrabel said the team will be signing cornerback Miles Battle off the practice squad. Battle has been with the Patriots since October of last season, mainly on the practice squad. He was elevated for one game last year, and one game earlier this year.
In addition to his update on Campbell, Vrabel also confirmed rookie guard Jared Wilson won’t play this week. Ben Brown replaced Wilson in last week’s game.