After winning the AFC East last week thanks to the Bills' demise against the Eagles, the Patriots are set to face the Dolphins at home for their final game of the 2025 season. The expectation is that they will enter the playoffs with an impressive 14-3 record, and projections have them facing the Chargers in the Wild Card round.
They should be in good hands on the injury front for that game, as a handful of starters have now been activated to return from injured reserve at the perfect time. The first was defensive tackle Milton Williams, who dealt with an ankle injury last month, and could suit up for Sunday's game.
He was eligible to return to the field last week against the Jets, but Mike Vrabel and Co. decided it was better he rest at least one more week instead. That could be the case again for the season finale game, but if it were up to Williams, he would play.
Milton Williams might miss the Patriots' final game to be ready for the playoffs
While speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon, Williams shared how he's been feeling over the past week and made it clear that, although he's not sure he will be playing this weekend, he would like to, if possible, "knock the rust off before the playoffs."
#Patriots DT Milton Williams says he’s feeling better this week and is building confidence in his ankle being healthy.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) December 31, 2025
Williams added that he’d ideally like to play this week to knock the rust off before the playoffs.
The Patriots' defense could certainly use him, since they have struggled to stop the run in his absence and even to rush the passer.
But at the same time, it's probably wiser to keep him sidelined for another week to ensure he's at his best for the playoffs, which is far more important at this stage of the season. That might be what they ultimately decide, especially after keeping him out of last week's game and looking at the players who remain away from practice midweek.
We'll have to wait and see, but it might be fair to say Patriots fans want Williams in the playoffs at 100%, and not in what should be an easy win against the Dolphins.