Super Bowl LIX champion Milton Williams entered the New England Patriots’ plans on a four-year, $104 … More
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Milton Williams didn’t view the break as much of a break.
After the Super Bowl LIX champion signed a four-year, $104 million contract with the New England Patriots in March, it was on to offseason workout program, organized team activities and mandatory minicamp through the middle of June.
Late July has since set in at Gillette Stadium. So has training camp and the opportunity to build a catalyst up front alongside fellow defensive tackle Christian Barmore.
“Shoot, it’s 100,” Williams told reporters of his excitement level following Wednesday’s practice. “Just getting this opportunity to come play for this organization, them believing in me and trusting me to come out here and lead these guys with Christian. It’s on us to make this defense go. Like I told him when we’ve been talking to each other, it’s going to go as we go. Every day we come out here, we’ve got to set the tone, and everybody else is going to follow.”
Williams, 26, set the tone in NFL free agency with a deal carrying $26 million in average annual value and $63 million in total guarantees. The former Philadelphia Eagle led all interior defenders with a 91.7 pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus in 2024. He did so while hitting home for seven sacks and 54 quarterback pressures between the regular season and playoffs.
Summer didn’t slow the momentum.
“Everybody been asking me did I go on vacation. I’m like, ‘We didn’t have no time for vacation,’” said Williams, a Texas native. “We only had like four or five weeks. When I got home, I probably took three days to relax a little bit but got right back to it. Conditioning, D-line work with coach Pete [Jenkins] down in Frisco, did a little boxing and just trying to do anything I can to make sure I’m in shape and ready to go.”
The 6-foot-3, 290-pound Williams picked up boxing last offseason. With the largest workload of his career on deck, he sees what is translatable during reps and in between them.
“It’s good for hand-eye coordination, but most importantly, it’s good for cardio,” Williams said. “The hardest part, I feel like, is keeping your hands up, keeping your feet moving. And them three-minute rounds, they get long. It’s good for when you come out here. In between plays, unless they’re going tempo, you probably get like 30-40 seconds, so you’re feeling good with the minute break that you get in boxing. It helps you recover faster and make your tank bigger.”
Williams handled 47.8% of the defensive downs during his final year in the NFC East while sharing an interior depth chart with the likes of Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter. Prior to then, the rotational role included 42.5% of the snaps in 2023, 35.7% of the snaps in 2022 and 40.5% of the snaps as a rookie.
Since going No. 73 overall in the 2021 NFL draft, the Louisiana Tech product has appeared in 76 games and started 20, counting postseason. He stands 148 tackles, 14.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two recoveries into his career.
“He’s fun to coach, he’s very mature, and so there’s zero reservation about his leadership ability,” Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said during his Wednesday press conference. “He’s here a lot. He’s here all the time. He shows up early, gets plenty of work in. He takes care of his body. He’s a true pro.”
