One of the NFL's top defensive free agents is now all but officially off the board—and he's not signing where you may have originally thought.
After ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Monday that Eagles star Milton Williams was finalizing a deal with the Carolina Panthers, the New England Patriots swooped in to ultimately acquire the defensive tackle.
They've agreed to a deal that's worth $26 million per season, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
"Other teams around the league are [still] showing strong interest in landing Williams right now," The Athletics Dianna Russini posted on X (formerly Twitter) as news of the 25-year-old's original deal with Carolina began to surface.
"He's gonna get big dollars," Rapoport added to the saga. "My understanding is the Carolina Panthers are in it, the Arizona Cardinals are in it, at least one other team is in it. Nothing is done."
That one other team was apparently the Patriots.
Williams burst onto the scene for Philadelphia in 2024, notching a career-high five sacks over 17 regular games while playing a pivotal role in the team's Super Bowl LIX win. In their 40–22 win over Kansas City, he sacked quarterback Patrick Mahomes 2.5 times.
He now joins a New England defense led by defensive coordinator Terrell Williams and, of course, head coach Mike Vrabel. The Patriots have also signed defenders Harold Landry III, Robert Spillane, and Carlton Davis III since Sunday night.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Former Eagles Star DT Milton Williams Snubs Panthers, Signs With Patriots .
