SAN JOSE, Calif. – Welcome back, Milton Williams. It hasn’t exactly been a while. The big six-foot-three, 290-pound defensive tackle signed what was, at the time, a heavily-criticized four-year, $104-million contract with the New England Patriots this past offseason, one that made him the highes t-paid player in franchise history based on annual salary. It was a move that, of course, came on the heels of playing a pivotal role in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX; he recorded two sacks while also forcing and recovering a fumble along the way in the victory. So, for some, the move to sign with a team coming off back-to-back 4-13 seasons was simply viewed as a player cashing in rather than trying to win. Why not both? Still just 26 years old, Williams was instrumental in turning the Patriots defense around, and again made crucial postseason plays to help them return to Super Sunday; he recorded two sacks in the Wild Card round against the Los Angeles Chargers, including an important late-game one on Justin Herbert, and was credited with eight quarterback pressures in the AFC Championship Game two weeks later. This is now his third Super Bowl — he was on the Eagles team that lost to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII — and speaking at the National Football League’s annual Opening Night media day held at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center earlier in the week, spoke on how he can apply lessons learned from his first two trips to the big game to the matchup against the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday. New England Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams (97) reacts after a stop during the first half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper) “I’m just trying to spread the message to my team to keep it simple,” he said. “Keep everything simple, and just do what we’ve been doing all year. There’s going to be a lot of media and talking every day, being in new spots for practice, but just keep it simple. Do what we’ve been doing all year; communicate, line up, execute and go get a win.” Having moved on from the team that took him with the 73rd overall pick out of Louisiana Tech in the 2021 NFL Draft, Williams has nothing but fond memories of his time in Philadelphia and says he keeps in touch with many of his now-former teammates. “Most of the D-line,” he said. “I still keep in touch with all my coaches there, but all the D-line.  The most recent one I talked to was (Brandon Graham). He was one of my vets when I came in, he kind of showed me the way, showed me the ropes a little bit. He was just reaching out and saying he was proud of me, and I thanked him for everything he’d done for me in my career.” ...read more read less