Success comes at a price in the NFL, and no one has learned that lesson more than the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason.
Just over a month after beating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59, the Eagles have already been forced to say goodbye to several familiar faces in free agency. Although names like pass rusher Josh Sweat and cornerback Darius Slay will be greatly missed by fans, defensive tackle Milton Williams' departure stings the most for part of the Philadelphia fanbase.
After breaking out during the 2024 regular season and playoffs, Williams cashed in by signing a four-year, $104 million contract with the New England Patriots. Although the ink is barely dry on his new deal, it looks like the 25-year-old defender's new team is already expecting him to make a big change.
Eagles News: Patriots Expect Milton Williams to Play Career-High Snap Total in 2025
On Thursday, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel spoke to the media about his team's offseason — including Williams' arrival. According to Boston Herald's Doug Kyed, Vrabel fully expects the former Eagles DT to play "more snaps" in New England than he did in Philadelphia.
Patriots HC Mike Vrabel says the team plans to play Milton Williams more snaps than the Eagles did.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) March 13, 2025
Vrabel's words are far from surprising — especially if the Patriots want Williams to live up to his $26 million average annual salary (AAV). If the former Louisiana Tech product wants to be paid like one of the NFL's top defenders, he must be on the field frequently enough to prove it.
Williams, 25, suited up each of the Eagles' 17 regular-season games in 2024, resulting in seven starts and a career-high 501 defensive snaps (with another 153 in the postseason). Now that he's transitioning into a full-time starting gig with the Patriots, who have fewer defensive playmakers than the Eagles, chances are he'll see way more action in 2025 and beyond.
The upcoming season will mark Vrabel's return to the head coaching landscape after a one-year absence. He last held an HC job with the Tennessee Titans in 2023, which was a year that saw Denico Autry and Jeffery Simmons lead the team's defensive linemen with 768 and 658 snaps, respectively.
Time will tell if WIlliams can handle a similar workload.
The Crowley, TX native heads to the Patriots after a breakout campaign that saw him rack up 11 solo tackles, 5.0 sacks, a broken-up pass, and a forced fumble with the Eagles during the regular season. He then added another five solo tackles, two defended passes, and a pair of sacks in four postseason appearances, resulting in career-high Pro Football Focus grades when it came to pass rushing (91.7) and overall defense (76.5).
At the end of the day, Eagles fans wish Williams nothing but the best in his new venture after helping the team secure another Super Bowl title. At the same time, overpaying him for a starting role that he might not be ready for has the potential to blow up in the Patriots' face.
Time will tell if the Eagles dodged a bullet by not re-signing him.