New England Patriots - NESN.com
New England Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams is going to miss the next four to six weeks due to a high-ankle sprain he suffered on Thursday night against the New York Jets, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
When asked on Monday about who will step up to replace Williams for the Patriots, head coach Mike Vrabel first mentioned rookie Eric Gregory, but he didn’t stop there.
“I though (Gregory) battled (against the Jets), and he’s continued to improve … in practice,” Vrabel said, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “You know, hopefully we’ll get (rookie Joshua Farmer) back, and I would say that (Jeremiah) Pharms is doing a great job, as well, on the show team and is ready to go in there at any point. So, I think we’re okay there as far as the depth, and (we) just have to keep working.”
Pharms, 29, is a journeyman defensive player who has been on and off the Patriots’ practice squad since 2022. He signed a two-year extension with New England in February, was released, and then was promptly re-signed to the practice squad in September.
Farmer, 22, was the Patriots’ fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He missed the Jets game due to an ankle injury, but Vrabel made it sound like he’s returning soon. The same can’t be said for Williams.
“We won’t have Milt … for the foreseeable future,” Vrabel said during the interview, per WEEI’s Tom Carroll. “He’ll work hard to get back. So that’s really where our focus is. … This is a progress league, and to be able to improve as the season goes on (is what’s important), so we’ll have to do that without Milt … (he’s) a big part of what we’ve done, but we’ll have to do it without him here for a few weeks.”
The Patriots will head to Cincinnati in Week 12 to take on the 3-7 Bengals.
