FOXBOROUGH, Mass., Oct. 13, 2026 — Sunday’s 45-17 rout of the Las Vegas Raiders was the cleanest, loudest win of the Patriots’ season. Drake Maye accounted for five touchdowns, the lead got so big that Las Vegas turned to rookie Fernando Mendoza in the fourth quarter, and the crowd at Gillette Stadium got to salute the 2001 champions on the 25th anniversary of the franchise’s first title. Then came Monday, and the bill for the blowout: New England’s starting left tackle and its most explosive young running back are both banged up, and a 21-year-old rookie may be the man protecting Maye’s blind side when the Jets come to town on Sunday.

What happened to Will Campbell

Campbell, the second-year left tackle the Patriots drafted fourth overall in 2025, went down in the first half when Rhamondre Stevenson was driven backward into his right leg. He walked off under his own power, spent time with the medical staff, went to the locker room and even tested the knee on a stationary bike on the sideline. He did not return after halftime, and the team ruled him out for the rest of the game.

That right knee is the same one that cost him four games last season with a sprained MCL, which is why every update this week matters.

Confirmed vs. reported

It is worth being precise here, because the early reporting and the coach’s tone have not lined up perfectly.

• Confirmed by the team: Campbell (knee) and running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) both left Sunday’s game and did not return. On Monday, head coach Mike Vrabel would not put a timeline on either player. He called Campbell day-to-day, said the club would see how he responded through the week, and pointed to Wednesday’s practice as the first real checkpoint. He said Henderson is likely in a similar spot and would probably be limited Wednesday if he practices.
• Reported, not confirmed: On Sunday night, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Patriots believe Campbell suffered a knee sprain and that he is likely to miss some time, with an MRI scheduled for Monday. The Patriots have not announced MRI results, and Vrabel said Monday he was not sure the scan had been completed when he spoke.

“We’ll take it day by day,” Vrabel told reporters, a line that is both coach-speak and, for now, the most honest description of where things stand.

Enter Caleb Lomu

If Campbell can’t go, the job falls to Caleb Lomu, the Patriots’ first pick in April’s draft. New England traded up to take him 28th overall out of Utah, where he played left tackle, and he is only 21. Many fans pictured him as the long-term successor to veteran right tackle Morgan Moses, not as an emergency left tackle in Week 6.

His first extended look was encouraging. Lomu played the rest of Sunday’s game on the left side, and Pro Football Focus charted him at 29 pass-blocking snaps with no sacks, no quarterback hits and a single pressure allowed, per Boston.com. Vrabel said the rookie was able to settle down and anchor against power rushes as the game went on. That is a fine debut against a Raiders team that had packed it in by the fourth quarter. The Jets will be a different test, starting with rookie edge rusher David Bailey, who will be eager to see how a first-year tackle handles speed off the edge.

The rest of the injury picture

The offensive line has been shuffled throughout the first month-plus of the season, and Campbell’s knee adds another layer. The good news is on the other side of the ball’s ledger: wide receiver A.J. Brown, out since a high ankle sprain in the Week 1 Super Bowl LX rematch, is now eligible to come off injured reserve. Asked whether Brown might play against the Jets, Vrabel allowed that there is a chance. Getting a No. 1 receiver back in the same week the line loses its left tackle would be a fair trade for Maye, who was at his best on Sunday when the pocket stayed clean.

At running back, Henderson’s ankle bears watching. Stevenson played through his own bumps last week, and the Patriots’ ground game has been a big reason Maye has been able to work off play action.

Why this week matters

The Patriots are 3-2 and back at Gillette for a second straight week. A division game at home, against a Jets team that will try to make a rookie tackle’s afternoon miserable, is exactly the kind of matchup that decides where a 3-2 team ends up. Win, and New England is 4-2 with a growing sense that the offense can handle adversity. Lose, and the conversation shifts to whether this roster is deep enough up front to survive the long season.

Boston’s Take

Protect the quarterback, protect the season. Maye’s five-touchdown day was not an accident; it was what happens when a young quarterback gets time. The single most important job for the coaching staff this week is making sure that stays true without Campbell. Expect more chip help from tight ends and running backs on Lomu’s side, quicker throws and a heavier dose of the run to keep Bailey honest.

Don’t rush the knee. Campbell is a cornerstone, not a one-week rental. With last year’s MCL sprain on the same side, the smart play is patience. A 21-year-old first-round pick getting real snaps in October is not a disaster; it is an investment that could pay off in December.

Lomu’s moment. Teams find out who their young players are in weeks like this. If Lomu holds up against the Jets, the Patriots will have learned something valuable about their 2026 draft, and their future line, much earlier than planned.

Talk it over

• Should the Patriots sit Campbell against the Jets even if he is cleared to play, given his history with that knee?
• What is the bigger swing factor on Sunday: Lomu’s protection or A.J. Brown’s possible return?
• Is Lomu’s long-term future at left tackle, right tackle or guard?

Sources

• Transcript: Head Coach Mike Vrabel Press Conference 10/12 — Patriots.com
• Mike Vrabel provides updates on A.J. Brown’s, Will Campbell’s injuries ahead of Jets matchup — Boston 25 News
• The pressure is going to be on Patriots rookie Caleb Lomu — Boston.com
• Patriots 45, Raiders 17: live coverage and recap — Boston.com
• Patriots don’t get positive initial update on Will Campbell’s knee injury — Sports Illustrated
• Mike Vrabel gives update on Will Campbell’s injury status — Newsweek

Featured image: AI-generated illustration (DeepAI). Boston Made is not affiliated with the New England Patriots or the NFL.