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Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel
In what perhaps may be the most controversial trade of a practice squad player in NFL history, the New England Patriots last week dealt third-stringer Joe Milton III, plus a seventh-round pick, to the Dallas Cowboys for a fifth-rounder. But Milton, of course, was no ordinary practice squad player. The Patriots 2024 sixth-round pick gave a hint of what he could accomplish in the NFL when he finally came off the practice squad and into a game in Week 18.
In that game, against a Buffalo Bills squad consisting mostly of reserves, Milton threw for 241 yards and one touchdown. The 25-year-old rookie also ran for a touchdown and just happened to unleash the second-fastest pass, at 61.7 mph, ever recorded in the NFL.
Why would the Patriots let a seemingly promising prospect like Milton go for what appears to be a rather low return? According to multiple media reports, Milton believed that his abilities were comparable to those of starter Drake Maye, who was taken with No. 3 overall draft pick in 2024 and appears to be the Patriots franchise quarterback going forward.
In fact, according to the reports, Milton believed that he could overtake Maye and become the New England No. 1 quarterback himself. His attitude, according to the reports, led the Patriots — who are committed to Maye — to ship him out.
Patriots May Seek a New ‘Developmental’ Quarterback
By losing Milton, however, the Patriots are left only with former San Francisco 49ers back-up Josh Dobbs, who was signed to a two-year, $8 million contract as a free agent in March. The Patriots lack a third, “developmental” quarterback, leading to speculation that they may use a draft pick to pick up another QB.
According to Patriots insider reporter Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston, the Patriots may target Alabama signal-caller Jalen Milroe, who has been called the “2025 NFL Draft’s most polarizing prospect.”
But Milroe has also been tabbed as, at least possibly, “the next Jalen Hurts.” Also a former Alabama quarterback, Hurts led the Crimson Tide to a national championship in the 2016-2017 season, but was consigned largely to the bench in the following season and though he started the national championship game when Alabama made it again, was benched by legend coach Nick Saban at halftime.
Hurts was graded as a third-round prospect by draft expert Mel Kiper, but was taken in the second round in 2020 by the Philadelphia Eagles and this year, led the Eagles to a Super Bowl championship.
Milroe Termed a ‘Rare Athlete’ at the QB Position
Could Milroe be an underrated prospect as well?
“Milroe is a rare athlete at the position, even if he’s a tad undersized (six-foot-two, 217 pounds) to be considered a prototype,” wrote Perry on Tuesday. “Former Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien apparently wasn’t Milroe’s biggest fan as a quarterback when O’Brien coached at Alabama. But if Milroe gets to a certain point in the draft, would the Patriots pounce?”
But will Milroe remain on the board into a later round, where he could be taken by the Patriots? Milroe has reportedly accepted an invitation to attend the draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on April 25, leading to speculation that he is destined to become a first-round pick.
“Milroe may be long gone by the time the Patriots are even thinking about adding a developmental quarterback,” Perry acknowledged.
Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. Vankin is also the author of five nonfiction books on a variety of topics, as well as nine graphic novels including most recently “Last of the Gladiators” published by Dynamite Entertainment. More about Jonathan Vankin
