Details come out on Milton Williams’ big-time contract with Patriots
The New England Patriots just made defensive tackle Milton Williams their highest-paid free agent in history, and now we have the full contract details.
As was reported initially, then reiterated by the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on Tuesday, the basic points of the Williams contract are four years and $104 million, or $26 million per year – the highest AAV ever paid to a single Patriots player. But there are specific bonuses involved that make it a unique deal for Williams and the Pats, as well.
Here are the key details to know about the Williams contract, per Pelissero:
— $51 million fully guaranteed at signing
— $24 million signing bonus
— $12 million guaranteed for injury vests in March 2027
Pelissero also mentioned Williams’ additional bonuses that would add to his $24 million signing bonus. ESPN’s Mike Reiss had the full breakdown of those. Williams can earn up to $2 million in workout bonuses and per-game roster bonuses over the first two seasons, and up to $3 million in those same bonuses over the final two.
Here’s Reiss’ post with the full year-by-year breakdown:
The $12 million guaranteed for injury in 2027 is to come out of Williams’ $21 million base salary, per Reiss. The Patriots essentially protected themselves to save some money if Williams isn’t healthy at the start of the 2027 league year, and there’s a chance they want to move on before the rest of the money kicks in.
Many of these four-year deals, even the most expensive ones, can essentially be glorified two-year deals. For Williams, it boils down to the $51 million guaranteed. So, it’s two years for $25.5 million per year, then we’ll see.
If Williams remains a Patriot in 2027 – and especially if the discussion starts to center around another new contract for him – that means things have gone extremely well.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.
