The New England Patriots are gearing up for the playoffs, and getting to this point hasn't been easy, as they've been without two of their best players. Left tackle Will Campbell and defensive tackle Milton Williams have been sidelined for some time now, leaving Patriots fans to wonder if the duo would return in time for the NFL postseason.
Head coach Mike Vrabel spoke to the media on Friday and had some good news to share. According to NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe, Vrabel revealed that it "looks good" for both Campbell and Williams to be activated off injured reserve ahead of the Week 18 game against the Miami Dolphins.
Latest Will Campbell, Milton Williams News Is Exactly What Patriots Need
Getting these two players back on the active roster ahead of the postseason is massive. Campbell has missed the last four games after spraining his MCL in Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals. As for Williams, he was put on IR after suffering a high-ankle sprain versus the New York Jets on Nov. 13.
These two players are huge contributors on the interior on both sides of the ball. Although they've missed an extended period of time, it appears the time off allowed them to recover from their injuries and be ready to make a push for the playoffs.
Although there are still steps that need to be cleared for them to get on the field, things are trending in the right direction. Campbell was the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft and helped stabilize the left side of the line. According to Pro Football Focus, Campbell played to a 76.1 pass protection grade after allowing only 25 pressures (16 hurries, five sacks, four QB hits) on 452 opportunities (5.3%).
Vederian Lowe has been thrust into action to replace Campbell, playing well in his place, but the floor is higher with Campbell. Fellow veteran Morgan Moses gave Campbell advice on how to "attack" rehab after he dealt with the same injury last year. It seemed like the rookie listened, and it helped him in the long run.
Meanwhile, Williams has given a massive contract in free agency and lived up to the billing before going down. The 26-year-old consistently found ways to get into the backfield, logging 35 total pressures, 26 hurries, and 3.5 sacks in 11 games. He's also amassed 35 pressures (26 hurries, five QB hits, four sacks), registering a pressure on 12.7% of pass-rushing opportunities, which is noticeably above his career rate of 9.6%, per PFF.
Getting pressure and keeping your quarterback upright are the keys to success, so getting these two players back for New England will help them succeed in that area. It'll be interesting to see if they are active for Week 18 and, if so, how much they play.
Nonetheless, getting two anchors back for the Patriots is huge, giving Vrabel & Co. a ton of momentum before the postseason arrives.