As the Philadelphia Eagles' season wore on, we sort of figured we were watching the final games of Milton Williams' tenure. We knew a huge payday was coming, and we figured it wouldn't come in Philly. He made one of the biggest plays of Super Bowl 59, the second most important strip sack in this franchise's great history.
It was then that we were all but certain. Yeah... Milt is out of here...
Legal tampering began, and the news came swiftly. Foxborough was the destination. The agreed price tag was more enormous than we thought (and, we expected a big one). What's most interesting is we noticed something later than we didn't think of when this was originally reported.
Milton Williams becomes the highest-paid player in New England Patriots history.
You've heard the numbers several times by now. Milton Williams' new deal covers four years and will pay him $104 million. That includes a $24 million signing bonus and $51 million fully guaranteed at signing.
Here's what we didn't expect. He already has a leg up on franchise legend Tom Brady. His average annual salary of $26 million makes him the highest-paid player in franchise history.
TB12 is doing pretty well for himself at FOX, but we still can't help but wonder what he feels about that.
Let's put some respect on Milton's name though. This isn't just a testament to his hard work. It also evidences how well Howie Roseman and his team have stocked Philly's roster.
Milt started 20 of the 76 games he appeared in during his Eagles career (that includes the playoffs). He spent most of his time here, however, as a rotational piece. He was often the third defensive tackle on Philly's depth chart.
If he commands this type of money, can you imagine what extensions for Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter will look like? Philly's young defenders will earn some major coin when it's time to negotiate their deals.