New England Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams will miss a minimum of four games after being placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury. (Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini)
Panini
The New England Patriots will be without Milton Williams for the foreseeable future.
The star defensive tackle was placed on injured reserve after suffering a left high ankle sprain on the opening drive last Thursday night versus the New York Jets.
Following visits to the blue medical tent and the locker room, Williams had been announced as questionable to return. He briefly did, finishing with eight defensive snaps. But in the final quarter of what became a 27-14 win at Gillette Stadium, the team downgraded No. 97 to out.
Players sent to injured reserve are required to miss a minimum of four games under NFL rules. And with the bye arriving in Week 14, Williams will not be eligible for activation until Week 17.
On Monday, Mike Vrabel weighed in on that reality.
“We won’t have Milt. So, for the foreseeable future, he’ll work hard to get back,” the Patriots head coach told reporters in his first press conference since the transaction. “So, that’s really where our focus is. It’s not so much as a reflection as it is just focusing on how do we get the guys ready to perform and continue to improve.”
As the league’s negotiating window opened in March, New England closed in on the top unrestricted free agent available up front. Williams signed a four-year, $104 million contract with $63 million in total guarantees. In terms of its $26 million average annual value, the agreement marked the largest in franchise history.
Williams, 26, spent his initial four NFL seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Louisiana Tech product, selected in the third round of the 2021 draft, finished his tenure with a breakout. He amassed seven sacks and 54 quarterback pressures between last regular season and postseason on the way to earning a Super Bowl LIX ring.
The disruption has carried over from the NFC East to the AFC East.
“I think the thing we’re trying to get everybody to understand is how much this is a progress league, and to be able to improve as the season goes on,” Vrabel said. “And so, we’ll have to do that without Milt, who’s one of our contributors and is a big part of what we’ve done. But we’ll have to do it without him here for a few weeks.”
New England’s defense allowed 131.4 rushing yards per game in 2024 while ranking last around the NFL with 28 sacks. But through the 9-2 start, the unit ranks atop the league with 84.7 rushing yards allowed per game and is nearing last year’s takedown total with 24 sacks.
Williams has been a catalyst in the turnaround. The 6-foot-3, 290-pounder has started all 11 games while notching 27 tackles and 3.5 sacks. His fall includes eight quarterback hits, seven stops for loss and a batted pass. He’s seen a career-high 60.9% of the defensive snaps after playing a rotational role during his previous stop.
Matchups against the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens will go on in his absence. Fellow key starters Christian Barmore and Khyiris Tonga will have others checking in alongside them. Some of whom already have been.
Undrafted rookie Eric Gregory, an August waiver claim from Arkansas, recently made his NFL debut with a run stuff after beginning the campaign as a healthy scratch. Joshua Farmer, the No. 137 overall pick out of Florida State, had played a part in every contest, starting one, before being sidelined last week by an ankle issue. And Cory Durden, a September promotion, currently ranks fifth among the league’s interior defensive linemen in Pro Football Focus’ pass-rush grade.
Jeremiah Pharms Jr., who made the initial 53-man roster before becoming a corresponding move, has seen action in 28 games for the organization dating back to 2023. He resides on the practice squad. So does sophomore Leonard Taylor III, an October addition from within the division.
There’s youth and experience to step up and cover the gap.
“Well, the same guys that I think have been playing,” added Vrabel. “Eric Gregory played in a game for the first time. I thought he battled and is continuing to improve in the show team stuff in practice. We’ll hopefully get Josh back. I would say that Pharms is doing a great job, as well, on the show team and is ready to go in there at any point. So, I think we’re OK there as far as the depth. We’ll just have to keep working, keep moving along.”
The Patriots signed rookie outside linebacker Bradyn Swinson from the practice squad to fill the open spot on the active roster.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/oliverthomas/2025/11/17/mike-vrabel-sets-the-tone-for-patriots-defensive-line-following-milton-williams-injury/
