Each member of the Philadelphia Eagles received a $171,000 bonus for winning Super Bowl LIX over the Kansas City Chiefs on February 9 — even for the ultra-rich world of professional football that’s not chump change.
Some of the Eagles took the opportunity against the Chiefs to trigger an even bigger payday— mainly fourth-year defensive tackle Milton Williams.
After a bravura performance in the Super Bowl with 2.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery, Williams heads into free agency looking to cash out a massive payday with another team. Spotrac currently projects his market value at around a 3-year, $36 million contract offer.
That’s quite a step up from the 4-year, $3.1 million rookie contract he signed with the Eagles after they drafted him in the third round (No. 73 overall) out of Louisiana Tech in the 2021 NFL draft.
It’s also not money the Eagles are in any way going to try and match, with a massive payday looming for NFL All-Pro defensive tackle Jalen Carter after the 2025 season.
From Bleacher Report: “Williams is coming off his rookie contract and doesn’t 26 until after the start of free agency. He’s hitting the market at the perfect time to be considered a premium free agent. Williams is an exceptional athlete who can play up and down the line of scrimmage. He also set a career-high this past season with five sacks, not including the two he generated in Super Bowl LIX.”
That $36 million valuation might actually be low — it’s not hard to envision a team in desperate need of a defensive tackle locking down Williams to the tune of a 4-year contract worth between $50 million and $60 million.
Williams Put Talent on Display in Super Bowl Win
Williams came absolutely unhinged in the best way in the Super Bowl win over the Chiefs, capped by dunking the ball over the crossbar after a strip sack and fumble recovery on Patrick Mahomes deep in Chiefs territory — a wild feat of athleticism for a 6-foot-3, 290 pound human being.
It was the final salvo for Williams in a season in which he showed he could very well be one of the NFL’s best defensive tackles moving forward.
The trio of Carter, Jordan Davis and Williams formed arguably the NFL’s elite interior defensive line unit in 2024. Even in that setting, Williams found a way to stand out by playing in all 17 games with career highs in sacks (5.0) and QB hits (10) while only starting 7 games and playing in a rotational role.
Teams Looking for Elite DT Should Turn to Williams
Williams will likely end up with the highest bidder — that could end up being the Arizona Cardinals and former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon — but there are other teams that could be in the mix as well.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine thinks the Denver Broncos should take a run at signing Williams as an upgrade on D.J. Jones, who is likely leaving in free agency.
Ballentine has sang Williams’ praises before, floating him as a potential target in free agency for multiple teams before, including the New England Patriots.
“Milton Williams will be one of the best interior defenders on the market and his age (25) should make him a popular target,” Ballentine wrote on December 4.
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