A no-show at the podium directly following his poor showing in Super Bowl LX, left tackle Will Campbell spoke to media during the Patriots' locker room cleanout on Tuesday.
Campbell apologized to reporters for not speaking Sunday evening, pointing to the rush of emotions following the 29-13 loss to the Seahawks and needing to get his head on straight before taking questions.
"When I get emotional, I tend to have no mind, and that's not the way that I need to approach this thing," Campbell said. "I know myself, and if I would have spoken after, I would have said something that I didn't need to say."
His understandable need for recalibration unfortunately came on the heels of the rookie's worst outing as a pro -- on the game's grandest stage.
Campbell allowed 14 pressures against Seattle, tied for the most by any offensive lineman in a playoff game since 2018, per Next Gen Stats. Though he was credited with just one sack allowed and three other Patriots linemen gave up five or more pressures, he's been rightfully highlighted as a massive weak spot for an offense that cratered in the Super Bowl.
"It comes with the job when you don't perform," Campbell said of the criticisms he faced afterward. "Obviously, I was picked high, paid a lot, so people expect a certain thing, and I expect more 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."
Those looking for an answer to Campbell's postseason regression can point to the knee injury he suffered late in the season.
Campbell hurt his knee in Week 12 and missed four games before returning for New England's regular-season finale. He shared Tuesday that he tore a ligament and was not 100% for the playoffs.
While he stated such an injury is no excuse, it certainly showed in his play. Campbell allowed 29 pressures throughout the playoffs, over half of his regular-season total (51) and the most during a postseason in the Next Gen Stats era. Four of his five worst-graded pass-blocking games by PFF came in the playoffs.
Nonetheless, Campbell was one of several up-and-coming contributors that helped fuel the Patriots turnaround from 4-13 to AFC champions. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 draft, he has an important future ahead in New England no matter the result of one game.
"I slept on it, I watched it," he said. "I know what I got to get better at and I'll move on."
Head coach Mike Vrabel, who spoke later on Tuesday, iterated the team's belief in Campbell.
"You get judged. You get scrutinized," Vrabel said. "Will's 22 years old. He's our left tackle. He'll get better. He'll get stronger. Moments where he played well, moments where he blocked a guy, there's plays he'd like to have back, but we're not moving Will to guard or to center or to tight end or to anywhere else."
Quarterback Drake Maye echoed Vrabel's sentiments.
"It's a pleasure going out there with Will every time," Maye said. "He's gonna be a great player in this league. He already is a great player in this league."
Maye similarly saved one of his worst outings for last. And again much like Campbell, it's not a stretch to say injury was to some degree an underlying cause. Although he was a full participant throughout the week, he was on the team's injury report for a right shoulder issue and received a pain-killing shot prior to facing Seattle. His arm looked to be giving him problems during a performance characterized by inaccuracy and delayed decision-making.
Maye only threw his two touchdowns as the game was getting away from the Pats. He also tossed two picks and lost a fumble, bringing his playoff turnover total to eight after giving the ball away just 11 times all regular season.
In brighter news, the MVP runner-up doesn't believe his shoulder will require an offseason procedure.
"Time is the best healer," Maye said of the injury.
With nothing but time now to reflect on what could've been, it's up to Maye, Campbell and the rest of the Patriots to grow from their disappointment and ensure they make the most of what could be moving forward.
"I think you can use it as a learning experience, an experience that I have a chance to remember for the rest of my career, the rest of my life," Maye said. "It's a chance to battle back from something that didn't go your way or you wish would've gone different and give you fuel to remember that, and it gives you something to work for."
