Could Milton Williams Be the Key to Fixing the Bengals’ Pass Rush This Offseason?

Will the Bengals be able to rebuild their defense?

The 2025 offseason looks challenging for the Cincinnati Bengals. They may need to shop for a trade, and they might have to cut a fairly good player. But they surely need help on the defensive line, and here is one free agent who can help fill the Bengals’ biggest offseason need.

One of the biggest problems for the Bengals last season came from the pass-rush department. They logged only 36 sacks, which tied them for No. 25 in the league.

Yes, they have Trey Hendickson. And yes, he led the NFL with 17.5 sacks on the season. However, they didn’t give him any help. Thus, the pass rush floundered into an inconsistent state.

Eagles DL Milton Williams would help Bengals

Cincinnati’s run defense produced at a middle-of-the-pack level in 2024. They gave up 124.6 yards per game. And Williams won’t help in that department. He had a 43.1 run grade, according to Pro Football Focus. That ranked him at No. 167 in the league.

However, that’s not where teams want Williams to excel. They want him to chase quarterbacks, and he produced an NFL-elite grade of 90.4 last season. That ranked him No. 2 in the league. It’s hard to pass up a guy who can disrupt a passing offense in that manner from the middle of the defensive line.

One thing that will be troublesome for the Bengals is Williams’ price tag. He elevated his payday with a tremendous performance in the Super Bowl. Williams became the first interior lineman with two sacks and a forced fumble in the Super Bowl.

That type of performance on the game’s biggest stage is a difference-maker when it comes to getting a big contract. Williams said he enjoyed the game, according to nbcsportsphiladelphia.com.

“It was fun to be a part of, for sure,” Williams said. “I ain't never been a part of a performance that dominant. I feel like I'm still dreaming a little bit. That was the biggest stage you can get on. I told my mom, ‘You dream of winning the Super Bowl, but winning it like that is like not real.’ ”

Milton Williams career on the uptick?

Williams landed with the Eagles as a third-round pick in 2021. He has 14/5 career sacks. Also, he has totaled 29 tackles for loss and 34 quarterback hits. Williams said the people who know the intracacies of football see his true value to a football team.

“The real football knowers, the football watchers, film watchers, they know what I've been doing since I got here,” Williams said. “Constantly getting better and better every year. Get on the biggest stage. I want to perform and most importantly win. I didn't really care how many sacks or whatever, but you want to make your impact known in the game.

“My pops always says make them call your name, make them say your name, get some conversation going about it. Yeah, man, it was fun. It was fun to be out there.”

The price tag on Williams is $21 million a year for three years, according to Pro Football Focus.

Bengals reshaping defensive coaching staff

Adding a guy like Williams makes sense for the Bengals, who retooled their defensive approach in January. They let go of defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, linebackers coach James Bettcher, and defensive line coach Marion Hobby. Taylor said the decisions didn’t come easy, according to Sports Illustrated.

“Do not take that lightly,” Taylor said. “Those were extremely hard moves for me to make. Those are all men that I have a ton of respect for. Been through really high, exciting times with them, and do not take those decisions lightly, and appreciate all that those guys brought to the table, because they're like brothers to me. They worked hard every single day, and those were not easy decisions to make.

“Lou (had) been doing this for six years here. And the success we've had. He's been a big reason why we've had a lot of the success. Just felt like we need to perform better as a football team. And so again, it's not in any specific one area. I think we got to be better in all three phases of our team and these are the decisions I made today, and we'll work to be better.”

Al Golden, who headed Notre Dame’s defense over the last three seasons, stepped in to take over the defensive coordinator position. Taylor said he’s excited about what Golden brings to the team, according to bengals.com.

“Al is a very highly regarded coach, and we are excited to welcome him back to the Bengals as defensive coordinator,” Taylor said. “He understands football at every level and has had great success as a coordinator, position coach and head coach. Al has a great football mind and will bring a smart, physical, aggressive approach to our defense.”

Under Golden in 2024, Notre Dame's defense finished second in the nation in points allowed with 14.3 per game. The defense held 12 opponents to 17 or fewer points as the Fighting Irish reached the College Football Playoffs National Championship game.