New England Patriots rookie left tackle Will Campbell is expected to return to practice this week after missing four games with a knee injury, coach Mike Vrabel said Monday.
Sunday’s Week 18 game would be the earliest Campbell is eligible to come off injured reserve. He was placed on IR on Nov. 26 with a Grade 3 MCL sprain.
Vrabel gave no indication if Campbell could play Sunday, but he has a 21-day window to return to action once activated from IR, meaning he would still be eligible to return during the playoffs even if he sits out Sunday’s game.
Campbell, 21, was the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He started the first 12 games of the season before the injury occurred in a Week 12 win at Cincinnati.
While New England (13-3) has clinched the AFC East for the first time since 2019, it still has something to play for in Sunday’s game. A win over Miami paired with a Denver loss to the Los Angeles Chargers would give the Patriots the AFC’s No. 1 seed and the first-round bye and homefield advantage through to the Super Bowl that come with it.
