Ex-Eagles star’s $104 million deal with Patriots named one of NFL’s worst contracts

As the calendar flipped to December last year, it was clear as day that former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams was poised to cash in big time in 2025 free agency.

The contract he wound up getting from the New England Patriots, though? No NFL analyst was projecting four years and $104 million for a player who had never played more than 600 defensive snaps in a season prior to 2024. But Williams balled out during Philly’s Super Bowl run and wound up the beneficiary of a free agent bidding war between the Patriots and Carolina Panthers.

In the end, Mike Vrabel and the Patriots got their guy, but will they end up regretting paying Williams a whopping $26 million per year? NFL analyst Lou Scataglia believes so, as he recently labeled Williams’ eye-popping contract as one of the NFL’s worst entering the 2025 season:

In 17 games for the Eagles in the 2024 regular season, Milton Williams racked up five sacks, 24 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, and 10 QB hits. He seems to have gotten a huge boost with his massive free agency contract due to recency bias, as he was quite good during the Eagles playoff run.

Williams is getting paid a whopping $26 million per year by the New England Patriots, and this honestly feels like one of those instances where a team spent a ton of money just because they had a ton to spend. This is not an accurate representation of the type of production to expect from Milton Williams.

— Lou Scataglia, NFL Spin Zone

As Eagles fans would attest, you have to give credit where credit is due here. Philadelphia gambled on Williams by letting him enter the final year of his rookie deal without a contract extension, and he wound up playing his way out of the Eagles' financial plans for 2025.

Williams was also a clear beneficiary of the best defense in football. Playing alongside a game-wrecker like Jalen Carter certainly opened up opportunities, as did Philly’s elite linebacker and cornerback play that often left quarterbacks in no-man’s land.

It’s hard to argue with Scataglia’s point on this one. The Pats had the budget to spend, and they were looking to make a splash after the Jerod Mayo debacle. Williams will no doubt end up being a solid starter on the interior for Vrabel’s defense, but is he about to transform in Jeffery Simmons overnight?

The guess here is that Williams’ deal will rank among the worst on New England’s books for the balance of the deal.

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