When looking at the Patriots roster this offseason, the overwhelming assumption is they are going to be looking to acquire great players via trade rather than shipping players off in a trade. They are not a team equipped with many players that teams will be getting on the phones for, at least not players they will make readily available, with one exception.

After an extraordinary season finale showing against the Bills that led the Patriots to the fourth win, quarterback Joe Milton III became a primary trade option heading into the offseason. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2024 Draft, which seemed odd to many, considering Drake Maye was their first-round pick. But he wound up being an asset to the roster all the way until the end of the year.

His impressive performance against the AFC East rival prompted many quarterback-needy teams to look into possibly trading for the 24-year-old, especially since many are not atop the draft to select one of the very few quality signal callers of the incoming class.

With Mike Vrabel calling the shots now, the new regime may consider trading Milton for draft capital this offseason, hoping to bring in a solid veteran backup for Maye instead. Fortunately, there is one team that might already be the perfect suitor.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are listed as a potential trade partner for Joe Milton III

The Steelers have struggled to find a worthy quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season, which is why they’re in the market for another this year. They took a risk by signing former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson to a one-year deal in 2024, but they are reportedly moving on from him this offseason, making them a great option to trade for Milton.

The idea of trading Milton is heating up, as it was mentioned by ESPN’s Aaron Schatz in an article projecting bold moves by every team in the league. While trading Milton might not be the boldest, perhaps what Schatz believes the Patriots could get in return could be.

“There could be interest around the league in Milton because of the overall weakness of this year’s quarterback draft class. The rookie showed promise in Week 18 against the Bills’ backups with a 72.4 QBR. If New England can turn three more years of a sixth-round pick into four more years of a third- or fourth-round pick, that’s usually going to be a win for a roster. Especially when the only playing time Milton had during the regular season was a finale game against backups because the Patriots already have their quarterback of the future in Drake Maye.

If they could sneak out a third or fourth-rounder, there’s no reason for the Patriots not to deal with Milton as soon as possible. It might seem like a high price to pay for a player who was just drafted in the sixth round, but there are not many quarterbacks expected to be desirable in the 2025 draft, which might make some teams overpay for a player with high potential.

Milton fits that criteria and could be a great starter for the Steelers. He has a lot of athleticism and natural talent and is known for having a strong arm, as witnessed against the Bills this past season.
He seems like the type of player Mike Tomlin would be interested in, even more so since they are reportedly set to move on from Trey Lance as well.

We’ll have to wait and see if Pittsburgh decides to make the call and how the new regime in New England will respond. It seems like the best situation for all involved, including Milton, who dreams of being a starter for a team in the league, and that won’t happen with the Patriots.

They could get a starting quarterback with a mid-round pick and hold onto the 21st overall selection to focus on a different needy position. At the same time, the Patriots benefit from adding another top-100 pick to either stick and pick or trade up for a higher-quality prospect.