The timing could not be better for Milton Williams. The fifth-year pro out of Louisiana Tech picked the perfect game to have his best game as a professional in Super Bowl 59. His former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, stuffed Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs team into a locker with their dominant performance along the defensive line. This helped Williams get his own massive payday.
Williams, who was making a shade over $1.25 million a year for the Eagles last season, is now making $26 million a year to go play for the upstart New England Patriots. He signed a four-year deal worth $106 million in his NFL free agency. While he had most certainly earned a big bump in pay, this is a guy who was not even really a full-time starter in Philadelphia. He was part of an ensemble cast there.
This happens every year where a bad team wants a piece of what made the Super Bowl champion so special. Williams is this year's recipient of the greatest bank account boost known to mankind, outside of Brock Purdy getting the bag to stay with the San Francisco 49ers, of course. New England should be markedly better than the Patriots were a season ago, but this team is still not a contender.
The other big thing is Williams will be asked to do more with less talent around him on this new deal.
New England Patriots likely overspent on Milton Williams in free agency
I really hope that Williams grows into his expanded role with the Patriots. He will effectively be taking the place of the star pass-rusher role, previously manned by Matthew Judon. Or perhaps former Tennessee Titans edge rusher Harold Landry does that by following Mike Vrabel over from Nashville in his free agency. Regardless, these two players must learn to thrive in unison.
For as good as it is to be Williams' growing bank account, with great power comes great responsibility. He is being paid to be a difference-maker on this up-and-coming Patriots team. They have pieces in place, but I am not ready just yet to even think about New England vying for a playoff spot in the deep AFC in 2025. Give it one more year, and I think Drake Maye and company could be ready come 2026.
By giving Williams this four-year deal, they are banking on him to grow into this role, just like Maye is expected to do as the team's young franchise quarterback. Now, the Patriots need to take advantage of two of their division rivals being in a state of flux. The Miami Dolphins could implode before our very eyes this season, and who could ever trust the New York Jets anyway?
Williams deserved to make way more money, but a 25x pay increase per year is a bit rich for my taste.