The consistent decline of the New England Patriots since the 2020 season has made it difficult for any head coach to sign the caliber of talent the roster desperately needs, no matter how much money they are willing to offer. It came to a head during the 2024 offseason, with players like Brandon Aiyuk and D.K. Metcalf ruling out a potential trade to the Patriots, despite massive offers.
That was one of the reasons Robert Kraft knew massive changes were needed, and therefore created the opportunity for Mike Vrabel to join the staff. His experience as a head coach, coupled with Eliot Wolf's determination to bounce back from a failed offseason, meant superstar talent came to the team, most notably Milton Williams.
The Super Bowl-winning defensive tackle had a near-done deal with the Panthers until the Patriots came calling and offered the biggest contract in franchise history, which immediately made Williams sign on the dotted line.
Although he was clearly good to sign with a struggling team like the Panthers, it might not mean much that he chose the Patriots, but he was walking into a more uncertain future that has now become a pleasant surprise.
Milton Williams' expectations for his first season with the Patriots were not that high
He made that brutally honest confession while speaking to reporters on Monday, as he was asked about his expectations for the season when he initially signed with the Patriots.
Considering they were coming off back-to-back 4-13 seasons, it's unsurprising that his expectations might have been much lower than accomplishing a 14-win season. But it doesn't make it better to hear.
Milton Williams was asked if he expected this team to win 14 games in 2025 after signing here in free agency back in March:
— Tom Carroll (@yaboiTCfresh) January 5, 2026
“Not gonna lie - no, I didn’t. I really didn’t know what to expect. I just come in, try to work every day, listen to what my coach tells me, just feed into… pic.twitter.com/VllHXozpeN
Fortunately for Williams, the Vrabel effect has made a much bigger impact on the team than anyone could have predicted, including himself, and now they're heading into their first postseason game since 2021.
That's something he has some experience in, as he spent the first seasons of his NFL career with the Eagles, and that will be invaluable for a mostly young team around him.
They enter their Wild Card matchup against the Chargers as a slight favorite, but many analysts and fans have already predicted they'll be a one-and-done team. But seeing how much this team has bought into Vrabel's message and the fact that they defied expectations by winning the division and 14 games, they shouldn't be counted out the rest of the way.