Will Campbell walked away as if the rest of the world had ceased to exist once Super Bowl LX concluded with the Patriots’ demise. In many ways, his reaction was understandable; the young lineman had just endured a performance that would likely be remembered for all the wrong reasons. However, the NFL is rarely in the business of forgiving players based on reasonability. 

“While most Patriots players took questions from reporters, LT Will Campbell declined multiple times and left,” reported Ben Volin of the Boston Globe on X. 

This wasn’t just a simple brush-off. Reports from the locker room described Campbell walking past clusters of reporters several times without uttering a single word. He chose silence over addressing a game where his post-game comments mattered the most. 

But now, since he refused to speak, the left tackle has put himself in the crosshairs of the league office. Under the NFL’s media policy, teams are required to open their locker rooms, and players are contractually obligated to be available to the media. 

The league has a history of making examples out of those who skip these sessions. Most famously, former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch was hit with massive fines throughout his career for similar behavior, with some penalties reaching $50,000.

League officials are now expected to review Campbell’s conduct to decide if a significant fine is coming his way. 

The reason for the media’s interest was clear: Campbell’s stats were historically poor. Next Gen Stats revealed just how dire things were. He allowed 14 quarterback pressures during the loss. That isn’t just a bad game; it’s the highest number of pressures surrendered by any individual player in a single game for the entire 2025 season. 

Seattle’s aggressive pass rush identified Campbell as the weak link and attacked him relentlessly. Their strategy worked perfectly. The pocket collapsed time and again, forcing Drake Maye into hurried throws and preventing the Patriots’ offense from ever finding its footing on the game’s biggest stage. 

If you think about it, the signs were there that the game wouldn’t favor New England. Data from ESPN Analytics showed that Campbell entered the game ranked 29th out of 30 qualified tackles this postseason in “Pass Block Win Rate,” sitting at a lowly 83.6%. That’s why fans didn’t hesitate to put the entire blame on the young lineman.

Social media offered no such diplomatic protection. Fans on X weaponized the rookie’s own words against him, reposting his draft-day pledge to “die” for his quarterback alongside clips of him walking away. Others flooded his mentions with his past quote about “grabbing a shift at Amazon,” telling him to start immediately. The digital backlash was absolute, labeling the silence “cowardly” and demanding the accountability he physically avoided.

Head coach Mike Vrabel, however, refused to scapegoat the rookie.

He was careful not to point fingers after the game, noting that “sacks are… that’s a team number.”

New England’s protection was shaky overall. Maye was sacked a record 21 times across four playoff games, but Sunday felt like a specific breakdown on the left side.

A deep dive into Will Campbell’s disastrous Super Bowl debut

It’s worth noting that Campbell wasn’t playing at 100%. After a stellar start to the year, he suffered a Grade 3 MCL sprain (effectively a tear) during a game against the Bengals on November 23. While it wasn’t big enough to end his season, it still was “very significant,” as insider Albert Breer reported. 

Campbell managed to return for Week 18 and fought through the entire postseason. If we talk about his toughness, it’s certainly admirable, but there’s a strong possibility that his lingering knee issues fumbled things at the most important time. 

Despite the nightmare ending, the Patriots still view the 22-year-old as a cornerstone of their future. Selected fourth overall in the 2025 Draft, Campbell started all 13 games he appeared in. The fans may not want to see his face again on the grid, but his veteran teammates aren’t giving up on him. 

After the tough night, right tackle Morgan Moses told him, “I’ve never seen a rookie come in and play the way he played at left tackle.”

Even though Moses has only made the playoffs five times in 12 seasons, this was a missed chance at a ring, but he refused to let Campbell shoulder the blame. And that’s a shared sentiment in the Patriots locker room.