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One of the more notable free agents this offseason appears to be coming off the board. Roughly an hour into the negotiating window opening up in the NFL, the Carolina Panthers are finalizing a deal with former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams, according to ESPN. The terms of Williams’ deal were not immediately disclosed.
Williams, CBS Sports senior NFL writer Pete Prisco’s No. 6 ranked free agent, was widely viewed as the top defensive tackle prospect slated to hit the open market this offseason, especially after helping the Eagles to a Super Bowl LIX title. The 25-year-old had a breakout season in 2024 when it came to pressuring the quarterback, tallying five sacks and 10 quarterback hits (both career highs). Williams carried over that success into the playoffs, particularly in Super Bowl LIX where he sacked Patrick Mahomes twice.
Williams entered the league as a third-round pick of the Eagles in 2021 out of Louisiana Tech and has spent his entire career with the Eagles until this juncture.
He joins a Carolina Panthers defense that will certainly welcome his arrival. Last season, Carolina finished with the worst pressure rate (16.2%) in the entire NFL, while totaling the second-fewest pressures (96). They were also tied for the third-fewest sacks in the league. Williams will now be paired with Derrick Brown, a former first-round pick who was limited to one game in 2024, along the Panthers defense line.
