Patriots’ Rookie Speaks Out After Drake Maye Fumble in Preseason Opener

Patriots’ Rookie Speaks Out After Drake Maye Fumble in Preseason Opener originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

On Friday night, the New England Patriots started their preseason with a commanding 48-18 win over the Washington Commanders. However, the Patriots' first team offense was less than stellar. Quarterback Drake Maye finished his night completing three passes for 12 yards and rushing for 16 yards and a touchdown. However, Maye also fumbled on the Patriots' first series.

The fumble came when Maye tried to escape the pocket and throw the ball away at the last minute. He couldn't get the throw off, and the ball ended up on the ground in the hands of the Commanders.

After the game, head coach Mike Vrabel called it like it was, a bad decision by Maye, and the Patriots' quarterback took accountability for the fumble. However, rookie left tackle Will Campbell said he also had a part in causing the fumble.

Pressure from the left side leads to a Drake Maye strip sack.

Commanders miss the ensuing field goal.

Maye seems set to return. @abc6#nepats#patscamppic.twitter.com/Nw0QfEA88v

— Ian Steele (@RealianSteele6) August 8, 2025

"We've just got to pick up the stunt," Campbell said (h/t Boston.com). "We do it every day in practice. Now it's just got to go to the game. It's very fixable, so that's something we'll work on. We obviously know that's something that can't happen. So, we'll get it fixed."

The Patriots' starting offensive line had Campbell and fellow rookie Jared Wilson protecting Maye's blind side at left tackle and left guard, respectively. The duo hasn't practiced together for too long and failed to pick up a stunt pulled off by the Commanders' defensive lineman, leading to a free rusher on Maye.

Campbell was drafted in the first round and was always expected to be the starter in 2025 at left tackle for the Patriots. Wilson on the other hand, was drafted as a center out of Georgia, but has earned himself starter reps at left guard with his versatile play. Although the combination hasn't had much time to work together in training camp, they started training together before they were drafted.

"Me and Jared trained together before we got drafted and really got to know each other throughout that process," Campbell said (h/t Boston.com). "Now it's just building that chemistry on the field, that trust, that bond. it's very exciting for both of us to be playing next to each other. We're just going to keep growing and try to put our best foot forward each and every day."

The Commanders' defense line stunt got the rookies on Friday night, but Campbell's confident it won't happen again. However, other than that, Campbell had a strong night in his NFL debut.

Will Campbell in his NFL debut:

🛡️ 85.4 PFF grade
🛡️ 8 pass-blocking snaps
🛡️ 0 pressures allowed pic.twitter.com/RA05Cz81Ca

— PFF (@PFF) August 10, 2025

New England's rookie left tackle displayed his athleticism and ability to pull and get downfield to block on a play that sprung fellow rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson for a long run.

"I think it's very important not just for me, but that's something that we preach for our whole team," Campbell said of the importance of finishing blocks (h/t Boston.com). "I wasn't the only guy doing that, everybody was out there finishing flying around and I feel like that showed. We're going to keep building. It's a good block to start on. We'll just keep progressing."

The Patriots' first preseason game looked outstanding based on the scoreboard, but Vrabel said there were many things to fix after the game. After all, the Commanders had more total yards than the Patriots despite being outscored by 30 points. Despite the win, Campbell shared a similar sentiment.

"I just feel like I've got to get better," Campbell said (h/t Boston.com). "We've got to get better as a team. There's still a lot of meat left on the bone. No matter what happened on the scoreboard, I feel like we have a lot more that we can do to reach where we want to go."

Related: Patriots’ Young CB Shines Bright Amid Injured Secondary Challenges

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 11, 2025, where it first appeared.