Patriots Rumors: Joe Milton Trade Talks Discussed; Want QB in 'Right Situation'

The New England Patriots could move on from one of their backup quarterbacks after adding another quarterback to the roster in free agency on Monday.

Per Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz, the Patriots are considering trading Joe Milton III and want to move him "to the right situation to continue his development in the NFL."

New England's trade discussions regarding Milton come after the team signed Josh Dobbs to a two-year, $8 million contract.

Milton didn't get many snaps in 2024 while playing behind Drake Maye, but he showed out when his number was finally called. In the Patriots' season-finale against the Buffalo Bills, Milton completed 22 of his 29 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown, adding 16 yards and a touchdown on the ground in the win.

While it's a small sample size, Milton showed flashes of potential and perhaps proved that he's more valuable than some perceived him to be coming out of college.

Milton's collegiate numbers at Tennessee don't jump off the page as he finished his final year with the Vols with 2,813 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions, though he did show off a cannon of an arm during his time at Tennessee.

The Patriots used a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft to land Milton. They could likely trade Milton for a mid-round pick and in turn, get more for Milton than what they paid.

That would likely be the best-case scenario for both sides. Milton won't see the field in New England in 2025 considering he has Maye and Dobbs in front of him. Maye is coming off a strong rookie year that has likely earned him the starting spot again this season while Dobbs, a fourth-round pick in 2017, is already an established backup.

Getting into a different quarterback room would give Milton the chance to get more reps and continue to develop while the Patriots could get a valuable pick in return.