Milton Williams is trading Super Bowl rings for a new mission: helping restore the New England Patriots to prominence.
After departing the Eagles, the defensive tackle finds himself in a very different position: No longer defending a championship, but chasing one. And that chase starts in the AFC East, where the Buffalo Bills have reigned supreme for five straight seasons. The Patriots haven’t seen playoff action since 2021, but Williams is already zeroing in on what it’ll take to get there.
At the top of his target list? Buffalo’s dual-threat star Josh Allen.
“I ended up missing that game against Josh Allen,” Williams said during an appearance on the Green Light with Chris Long podcast. “So, I haven’t played him yet. Since I got here, just talking with [Christian] Barmore, he was like, ‘Yeah, Josh Allen is probably the hardest quarterback I’ve had to bring down.’”
Williams compared Allen to another physical specimen: Cam Newton.
“Big, fast, mobile, big arm and he can make any throw. It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m up for it. I’m definitely up for it.”
Williams and Allen are set to clash at least twice this season, as the Patriots look to reclaim their former AFC East dominance. Helping lead that charge is newly hired head coach Mike Vrabel, a former Patriots linebacker who knows a thing or two about tough defense. Under Vrabel’s direction, the team has focused on rebuilding its defensive identity.
New additions to the unit include cornerback Carlton Davis, linebacker Robert Spillane, and edge rusher Harold Landry. But none made a splash quite like Williams. The 29-year-old signed a four-year, $104 million deal after a breakout 2024 season that featured three sacks in the postseason alone.
Despite the Patriots finishing 22nd in both points and yards allowed last season, Williams isn’t walking into a bare cupboard. The defense still boasts promising homegrown talent, none more exciting to Williams than defensive end Keion White.
White, a rising star entering his third season, broke out in 2024 with 56 tackles, five sacks, five passes defensed, and two forced fumbles. His versatility and relentlessness have already earned him the respect of his new teammate.
“Keion White, I see a lot of myself in him,” Williams said. “The way he works, how he carries himself. We’ve got similar builds, similar mindsets. We can both line up anywhere and go to work.”
And when they line up together?
“If we end up on the same side when it’s time to go rush, it’s gonna get nasty,” Williams said with a smile. “It’s gonna get nasty for sure.”
The season may still be months away, but Williams is already sending a message to Josh Allen, to the AFC East and to the league as a whole: The Patriots are coming with a vengeance and their defensive front is ready to make some noise.
