Will Campbell Has MCL Sprain, Expected to Miss Time

Will Campbell is going to miss some games. The New England Patriots left tackle has been diagnosed with an MCL sprain in his right knee and is expected to sit for some game action, a source told ESPN's Cameron Wolfe on Tuesday. League voices around the report also framed it as week to week after Campbell avoided a more catastrophic outcome.

The early read is that this one is not as bad as the Grade 3 torn MCL Campbell suffered on the same knee last November, when the Patriots put him on injured reserve. Campbell, New England's first-round pick in 2025, has admitted he came back from that injury for the postseason before he was fully healthy and struggled protecting Drake Maye. That history is why Tuesday's diagnosis matters as much as the timeline.

How it happened and who steps in

Campbell got hurt when a Las Vegas Raiders defender tackled Rhamondre Stevenson into his leg on a rushing play in the second quarter Sunday. Rookie first-round pick Caleb Lomu stepped in at left tackle for the rest of that 45-17 win at Gillette Stadium.

Lomu played left tackle at Utah, and Mike Vrabel liked what he saw from a fill-in who suddenly owned the blind side. "I don't think it was too big for him," Vrabel told reporters. "You didn't really notice him a lot, so I think that's probably a good thing."

That is the quiet compliment every offensive lineman wants. For now, Lomu is the top candidate to start while Campbell recovers, and Patriots fans will be watching every snap of that edge against a Jets front that loves to twist and overload.

Depth help on the way

New England could also get a boost from 2025 seventh-round pick Marcus Bryant. Bryant was tracking as the top swing tackle in the preseason before he got rolled up and landed on injured reserve with a designation to return. He became eligible to practice last week, and this injury run makes that timing matter for a room already thinned out.

The Patriots have already lost multiple offensive linemen for the season. TreVeyon Henderson is also expected to miss multiple weeks with a high ankle sprain, so Foxborough is patching holes on both sides of the ball while Maye keeps throwing darts.

Vrabel also said "there's a chance" receiver A.J. Brown will be activated off injured reserve and can play against the Jets, which would be the kind of complementary bounce this offense needs while the line holds together.

Jets at Gillette next

New England hosts the New York Jets on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. Campbell's week-to-week status means Lomu could get his first real start on a stage that will be loud, chippy and full of AFC East baggage.

Patriots fans have seen Campbell fight back from worse on that same knee. They just want this sprain to stay a sprain, for Lomu to keep being invisible in the best way, and for that left side to hold up until No. 66 is ready again.