The Super Bowl magnifies everything, and for Will Campbell, it became a night to forget. The New England Patriots’ rookie left tackle struggled in a 29-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, surrendering 14 quarterback pressures on Drake Maye, the most allowed by any player all season. Usually steady, Campbell avoided the media afterward as criticism mounted over his protection issues, turning an already painful loss into an even tougher moment under the brightest spotlight. However, five-time Pro Bowl veteran tackle Terron Armstead has some thoughts on the player.

“The issues that I saw repeatedly that kept getting him [Campbell] in trouble was technique, footwork, being on the ground, connected to the ground, where he can generate power,” Armstead said on the Rich Eisen Show. “So his actual pass set, like the 45-degree set that he had consistently, was able to get to the spot. But the issue was once he got there, hesitation, uncertainty, no foundation, not having his way in the ground.”

“Those are fixable. And I believe he will get it fixed. He will get his feet on the ground. He will be connected from his upper body to his lower body. He is powerful and able to generate that and start to bring that fight back to the D [defensive] lineman. So I’m excited to see Will in year two.”

During Super Bowl LX, Will Campbell recorded a historically poor performance. He surrendered a whopping 14 pressures. It was the most in any playoff game since 2018. Meanwhile, his postseason total stood at 29. And the root cause could be poor footwork, as Armstead highlighted. He made it clear that the 22-year-old’s effort and strength are not an issue. 

His ability to consistently position himself between the defensive end and the quarterback has already impressed the OT. In Armstead’s view, that’s quite a feat for any young tackle. But without a strong foundation, he couldn’t generate power or fight back. As a result, Campbell, the No. 4 pick in the 2025 draft, absorbed pressure, especially from defensive linemen weighing 260 to 270 pounds. 

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In fact, former Patriots center and two-time Super Bowl champion David Andrews highlighted the same concern.

He pointed to technique, not effort, as the bigger issue, noting that Will Campbell struggled even against four-man rushes. Andrews noted Campbell’s narrow stance and lack of width in his kick slide, explaining that tackles must widen the pocket, and failing to do so forces the quarterback to move while turning otherwise harmless rushers into real problems.

Hall of Fame tackle Joe Thomas echoed similar concerns while breaking down Campbell’s play. He explained that pass blocking is a lot different from run blocking and requires a player to move backward while a defender explodes at full speed.

Timing becomes crucial with no room for a slight delay. According to Thomas, Campbell’s outside foot was hitting the ground just a split second too early, causing his base to narrow and his hips to open.

The aftermath leads to a loss of leverage. Just like Armstead, he stated that anchoring properly requires balance and stability first. While his MCL sprain injury also added to his late-season dip, the larger problem remains his footwork. The promising part is that the rookie can master it through coaching and experience.

All that said, Armstead also addressed the criticism Will Campbell faced in the playoffs.

Armstead points to the positives in Will Campbell’s rookie season

The Patriots drafted Will Campbell in the first round last year after his standout college performance with the LSU Tigers. He turned heads in the regular season, earning a 76.1 pass-blocking grade from PFF. The young tackle also ranked 20th among those who played over 50% of snaps. But in November, he tore his knee ligament against the Cincinnati Bengals. It hampered both his confidence and performance.

And when he couldn’t shine on the biggest stage, critics didn’t hold back, especially after he dodged questions from the media post-game. But Terron Armstead isn’t having it. He thinks Campbell showcased positive traits, praising his confidence and aggression while pinning players to the ground. He acknowledged that the MCL injury affected his body language, but the biggest challenge was the fierce competition he faced in the final stretch, which most critics didn’t take into account.

“You got Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter,” he said. “You graduate from there, you go to Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper. You go to the big dance against the plethora of rushers that the Seahawks presented. And people talk about the path that the Patriots had on their way to the Super Bowl, but that wasn’t Will Campbell’s story.

“He faced the best of the best, and not to make excuses at all, it is the NFL. You are going to see the best.”

Mike Vrabel’s team understands the situation and has publicly backed Campbell amid the slamming. The head coach clarified that he still trusts him with the left tackle position.

“There are moments he played well, moments he blocked the guy, there are plays he’d like to have back,” Vrabel said earlier this month. “We’re not moving Will to guard, or center, or tight end, or anywhere else.”

Moreover, Campbell himself addressed the criticism head-on. Not treating his injury as an excuse, the OT said he understood the responsibility that comes with being a top draft pick. He saw the lambasting coming, but stressed that his poor performance hurt him more than anybody else. In the end, Will Campbell’s story has just begun, and so has his road to improvement.