The New England Patriots were among the busiest teams in the NFL on Monday with the legal tampering period of NFL free agency opening. Easily their biggest deal of the day saw them hand out their largest contract in franchise history to former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams.
After starring for the Eagles in their blowout Super Bowl 59 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, Williams appeared poised to cash in once he hit the open market. That ended up being exactly what happened, as Williams earned a four-year, $104 million contract from the Patriots.
"Splash: The Patriots are taking the biggest defender off the market, as Eagles DT Milton Williams lands in New England, per me and Mike Garafolo. Williams gets a $26M per year in a deal done by Rick Roberts of Klutch Sports," Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported in a post on X.
Williams' stint in free agency didn't come without some controversy, as he initially appeared to be close to agreeing to a deal with the Carolina Panthers, only to change his mind at the last minute and sign with the Patriots. In the wake of this deal being announced, Williams shared a quick three-word message on social media.
"God the greatest," Williams said in a post on X in response to his massive new contract with New England.
Williams played in all 17 games for Philadelphia in 2024, racking up 24 tackles and five sacks. In the Super Bowl against the Chiefs, Williams was a game-wrecker, as he had four tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble.
While the Eagles are incredibly deep on their defensive line, Williams proved he was ready for a bigger role in 2025. He projects to work alongside Christian Barmore at defensive tackle, who is working on returning to action after his 2024 campaign was disrupted by a scary case of blood clots.
