Patriots’ Will Campbell apologizes for post-Super Bowl media snub

Will Campbell knew he should have spoken with reporters following the New England Patriots’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on Sunday.

And yet, the rookie left tackle still declined to do so — admitting now that he feared his emotions would get the best of him.

Unlike on Sunday, Campbell met with the media during the Patriots’ season-ending availability in Foxborough on Tuesday. And that included him offering an impromptu apology for his snub, which came after a performance in which he allowed 14 quarterback pressures according to Next Gen Stats.

“When I get emotional, I tend to have no mind,” the LSU product said, according to the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan. “And that’s not the way that I need to approach this thing. I know myself, and if I would have spoken after, I would have said something that I didn’t need to say.”

As for the criticism he’s faced in the wake of Sunday’s performance, Campbell added: “It comes with the job. When you don’t perform, obviously, I was (drafted) high, paid a lot. So people expect a certain thing, and I expect more of myself. So whenever I don’t perform, I don’t expect everyone to be like, ‘It’s OK, buddy.’ I mean, obviously, it sucks. But it doesn’t suck for anyone more than it sucks for me.”

Give Campbell credit: While his Sunday snub was hardly ideal, he seems to have accepted that such responsibilities are a reality of his profession. Especially for a player who was selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and has been entrusted with protecting Patriots quarterback Drake Maye’s blindside — a gig that secured him a fully guaranteed $43.66 million contract.

But despite his bulky bank account, the 22-year-old Campbell’s postgame emotions are more than understandable. And while it may not be the last time he deals with a disappointing game, his explanation sure makes it sound like he won’t let those emotions prevent him from shirking his postgame duties in the future.