Dan Morgan wanted to focus his second offseason on boosting the defensive trenches. It looked for a long time as if the Carolina Panthers would land the biggest prize available, but they opted not to raise their offer for Milton Williams when the New England Patriots came in over the top.
Now, the Panthers are sitting at home having been knocked out in the wild-card round. Williams is gearing up for his second-straight Super Bowl appearance after the Patriots made a meteoric rise to prominence under head coach Mike Vrabel.
Insiders reported that the Panthers were finalizing a megabucks deal with Williams. The Patriots had other ideas, and Morgan chose not to enter a bidding war after New England offered a four-year, $104 million contract with a $24 million signing bonus and $63 million in guaranteed money.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Milton Williams claims Carolina Panthers didn't show him enough love in free agency
Williams discussed his free agency during media day before attention turns to practices and the Super Bowl itself. The defensive lineman thought he was going to Bank of America Stadium, but New England's show of love, coupled with the money offered, tipped the scales in the AFC East club's favor.
Milton Williams on free agency: Said the #Patriots really showed him the love, but there was admittedly a moment he thought he’d be a Carolina Panther. Said he even was looking up little league pictures (his team was called the Panthers). #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/ZgxgeEEKyg
— Tyler Sullivan (@TylerSully) February 3, 2026
This was a slap in the face to the Panthers. Most fans thought Williams just turned them down for the money. That probably went a long way toward his decision, but the extra care the Patriots showed in pursuing the player was equally important.
Carolina thought Tershawn Wharton could do the same job for cheaper. Injuries didn't help, but his impact was minimal at best. And with a salary-cap number of almost $19 million next season, significant improvements are needed.
Williams dealt with some injury issues, but he's come alive in the postseason, spearheading a New England defense that's made things exceptionally difficult for any standard of opposition. That's why he got paid the big bucks, and there is just no telling how much damage he could have caused in a 3-4 end partnership with Derrick Brown.
Unlike most rumors and pipedreams typically associated with this time of year, Williams was within the Panthers' grasp. They overthought it and penny-pinched when an elite game-wrecker looked all but set to join the ranks. And unless Wharton picks things up next season, this hesitancy will continue to age horribly.
Sometimes, cheaper is always better, certainly not where top-level free agents entering their prime are concerned. Perhaps Morgan wanted more bodies for the financial sum, but if Williams excels on the grandest stage of all for a second year running, fans are right to ask questions.