Reinforcements have arrived for Sunday's regular-season finale vs. the Dolphins, with the Patriots activating LT Will Campbell (knee) and DT Milton Williams (ankle) off injured reserve on Saturday.

New England had one open spot on the 53-man roster but needed to make space to activate the two standout linemen for Week 18. The Patriots corresponding move was to waive DT Jeremiah Pharms Jr., who signed to the 53-man roster last week after spending most of the season on the practice squad. If he clears waivers, Pharms could return to the practice squad where his roster elevations will reset for the postseason, giving the Patriots flexibility. The Patriots also elevated OL Brenden Jaimes and DL Leonard Taylor III from the practice squad.

Obviously, it's good news that Campbell and Williams are returning to the lineup for Sunday's regular-season finale at Gillette Stadium, but it's great news that they'll be available for the Patriots upcoming playoff run. Starting with Williams, the standout defensive tackle hasn't played in a game since suffering a high-ankle sprain in the Patriots Week 11 victory over the Jets. Williams was injured just eight plays into that Thursday nighter, exiting the game in the first half and eventually landing on injured reserve. The veteran opened his 21-day practice window last week, but the Patriots held him out against the Jets to let him ramp up to his return.

Before suffering his ankle injury, Williams was one of the Patriots best defenders and one of the NFL's top defensive tackles. Williams ranks fifth among defensive tackles in pressure rate (12.7%) with 17 total pressures, while helping anchor New England's run defense with nine run stops in 11 games. With their standout defensive tackle available, the Patriots run defense was fourth in rush EPA in their first 10 games compared to 30th in their last five games.

Williams, who can shed blocks with the best of them, makes individual plays while also having a trickle-down effect on the Patriots defensive line. Besides fans and Williams himself, star DT Christian Barmore might be the happiest Patriot about Williams' return, as Barmore has been seeing an uptick in double teams without his partner on the inside. Barmore has seen a double-team block on 28 of his 65 pass-rush snaps, or 43.1%, while also getting extra attention against the run. Williams returning should free-up Barmore, and vice versa, with opposing offensive lines having two decide who to double team on each play.

Earlier this week, Williams spoke in the Patriots locker room about the importance of knocking some rust off vs. the Dolphins on Sunday before playing in the playoffs.

"Playing in the NFL, the speed is the same, but in the playoffs, just the margin of error is really, really, really small compared to the regular season," Williams said. "To get in football shape, you got to go out there and practice and play. I look forward to that."

As for Campbell, the standout rookie left tackle returns to the lineup after injuring his knee in a collision in a Week 12 win over the Bengals. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft ranks second among rookie tackles in pressure rate allowed (5.4%) and looked the part of a franchise left tackle before his injury. During the practice week, Campbell was a full participant in all three sessions, signaling that he'll be a full-go this week and into the Patriots postseason run.

Although their rookie left tackle is expected to return, the Patriots will still be down third-rounder Jared Wilson, as the left guard remains in concussion protocol. With some moving parts on the left side of the offensive line, New England's expected starting five is LT Will Campbell, LG Ben Brown, C Garrett Bradbury, RG Mike Onwenu, and RT Morgan Moses. Sunday's game will be the first time Brown and Campbell have started next to each other since Week 4.

As for the Patriots practice squad elevations, Jaimes and Taylor have been elevated for the third time each. Jaimes has played a special teams role on the field goal protection unit, while Taylor logged a run stuff in 22 snaps in last week's win over the Jets. As with Pharms, Jaimes and Taylor's standard elevations will reset in the postseason, giving New England the option to add the two linemen to the game-day roster in the playoffs if needed.

Lastly, Miami elevated RB Jeff Wilson Jr. and LB Derrick McLendon from the practice squad. Wilson Jr. being elevated signals that star RB De'Von Achane, who is listed as doubtful due to a shoulder injury, won't play on Sunday. Achane leads the NFL in yards per carry (5.7) and explosive runs (40), so that's a significant loss for the Dolphins offense. Miami will lean on running backs Ollie Gordon II, Jaylen Wright, and Wilson instead.

On Sunday, the Patriots will be playing for seeding in the AFC playoffs, with a chance at the No. 1 overall seed in the conference. If the Patriots win, they secure a top-two seed in the AFC and could climb to the No. 1 seed with a Broncos loss. If they lose to Miami, they could fall to the No. 3 seed with a Jaguars win. In all, there are five different scenarios for New England: first-round bye, vs. Chargers (most likely), vs. Bills, vs. Jaguars, or vs. Texans in the Wild Card round.

The Patriots host the Dolphins in their regular-season finale at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.

DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer