There’ll be some questions about whether the Philadelphia Eagles should have re-signed some of their key players on the defensive line in the offseason after their 24-20 Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Regret might have crept in just a bit on Sunday.
The New England Patriots took a tough 20-13 season-opening loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at home. That didn’t stop former Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams from making a strong first impression on the Boston area.
Williams finished the game with four tackles, two quarterback hits, and one tackle for loss. According to Next Gen Stats, he had seven pressures on 30 pass rushes (23.3%) and added two run-stuffs in the game.
DL Milton Williams played a career-high 49 snaps in his Patriots debut on Sunday.
Finished with 7 pressures on 30 pass rushes (23.3% pressure rate), per NextGenStats.
— Brian Hines (@iambrianhines) September 7, 2025
Before signing his $104 million contract with New England in the offseason, Williams was a third-round pick of the Eagles in the 2021 NFL Draft. He posted 132 tackles, 29 quarterback hits, 25 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, and six pass deflections in 67 career games.
Did the Eagles make a mistake not bringing Williams back?
Williams is a great talent and can do it all on the defensive line. He’s not just a one-trick pony, as he can stop the run while adding pressure to the quarterback. Those are traits every tackle needs nowadays, with the quarterback position evolving the way it has.
No matter what, the Eagles couldn’t afford to pay $104 million to bring Williams back no matter what. They have too many other priorities they have to focus on to do that.
In the NFL business, it’s hard to bring everyone back with how much money is being offered out there. The Eagles have to think about two to three years down the road when guys like Jalen Carter, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Reed Blankenship.
Philly’s biggest strength is the defensive line’s depth. That was on display in their Week 1 matchup with Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo stepping up in Carter’s absence after his ejection. Davis arguably had the best game of his career, while Ojomo was the only player in the game who got a quarterback hit on Dak Prescott.
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All Eagles will wish Williams a future of success with the Patriots (except when they play Philly, of course). Still, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman made the right choice in not re-signing him to a monster contract for a player who has never made the Pro Bowl.