Milton Williams is just weeks removed from a Super Bowl triumph, but he's already focused on his future.
He has good reason to have his eyes trained on the road ahead: New England just made him the highest-paid player in franchise history. He also received that contract despite not handling the workload of a full starter.
That admission -- which coach Mike Vrabel acknowledged Thursday by telling him, "I hope you want to play more than you played in Philadelphia" -- motivates Williams, who jumps from rotational player with the Eagles to the top player on the depth chart with the Patriots.
"I thrive on people telling me I can't do something, so bring it on," Williams said Thursday, via ESPN. "The more you're out there, the more opportunity you have making plays. I pride myself in being productive."
A third-round pick out of Louisiana Tech, Williams, 25, appeared in 67 games (19 starts) with the Eagles over his first four seasons. He recorded a career-high five sacks in 2024, nearly besting his combined total (6.5) from his first three seasons while registering a 12.5 quarterback pressure percentage -- the highest among defensive tackles -- per Next Gen Stats. He capped a career year with a pass rush grade of 90.4, per Pro Football Focus.
All of that production is great, but the talent-rich Eagles were never going to pay a rotational player like Williams at the rate he'd fetch elsewhere. New England, meanwhile, was hungry for interior talent and happily handed him a four-year, $104 million deal that came with the expectation he'd produce similarly over a larger sample size.
It's a tall ask, but one Williams is embracing.
"Putting in work, plain and simple. Extra work. Asking the coaches whatever I need to do to make sure I'm available every game," Williams said. "I want to be out there representing my teammates and this organization. I'm not going to leave no stone unturned when it comes to preparing and being healthy and being in the best shape I can be in."
The ultimate test will come in the 2025 season, in which Williams will be counted on to rush the passer and stuff the run for a defense that finished 22nd in yards allowed in 2024. The ask is a significant one, but also an expectation Williams knows comes with the contract.
He's appreciative of it all: the pressure, the opportunity and the financial reward.
"That's a blessing," Williams said. "I just won a Super Bowl a couple weeks ago, so I thought that was the biggest day of my life. But this is probably going to jump that, for sure."