Offensive tackle Will Campbell walked away as if the rest of the world had ceased to exist once Super Bowl LX concluded with the New England 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. As per Next Gen Stats, he allowed as many as 14 quarterback pressures on Drake Maye. But that might not have been a good enough reason to dodge reporters after the game. 

“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 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 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.

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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 in Campbell was clear: Allowing 14 quarterback pressures during the loss was 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. But if you think about it, the signs regarding Campbell were already there.

Data from ESPN Analytics showed that the player entered the game ranked 29th out of 30 qualified tackles this postseason in ‘Pass Block Win Rate,’ sitting at a lowly 83.6%. Head coach Mike Vrabel, however, made it clear he wasn’t going to pin the blame on the rookie.

“We can sit here and try to put in on one guy. You’ll be disappointed because that will never happen.”

While Vrabel protected the rookie, fans had mixed reactions.

Will Campbell skipped the media, but fans voiced their opinions online

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. 

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. Regardless, many fans were sympathetic towards him:

• “Don’t blame him. What’s he gonna say? He needs to regroup, get better, and come back stronger next year. There’s nothing to say.”
• “I would be upset too if I was one of the biggest reasons my team lost.”

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. However, his production numbers were not up to the mark. 

• “Not a particularly good look, but he’s not the one who over drafted him for a position he can’t play in the NFL.”

While some fans questioned the team’s selection of him, Campbell was actually a highly touted prospect coming out of LSU. The Patriots would have also seen potential in him.

Ultimately, the Patriots couldn’t do much on offense in the Super Bowl. They trailed 12-0 at halftime and didn’t reach the end zone until Drake Maye’s 35-yard touchdown pass to Mack Hollins late in the game. That left the fans frustrated. After an almost flawless season, the team didn’t perform when needed the most. Add Campbell’s poor performance to this, and fans were quite unhappy:

• “Hope they can trade him for some kind of value. Big bust.”
• “Pretty much the way he responded when he was asked to clock Seahawks defenders.”

While the young player received encouragement from coach Vrabel and right tackle Morgan Moses, this was a missed chance at a ring for the team. Now, the only thing they can do is regroup, correct their mistakes, and look forward to the 2026 season.