NFL Trade Packages New England Patriots Would Have to Consider for QB Joe Milton III

Editor's Note: Milton was traded to the Dallas Cowboys along with a seventh-round pick with New England receing a fifth-round pick in return.

The New England Patriots may have found a diamond in the rough in Joe Milton III. The young quarterback has shown immense potential since being drafted in the sixth round last year, but he's unlikely to reach his ceiling with the organization that selected him.

With Drake Maye—New England's No. 3 pick overall in 2024—earning a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie and looking like the franchise's long-awaited heir to Tom Brady, it's going to be difficult for Milton to see the field barring an unexpected injury.

The 25-year-old participated in just one game last season, although he did show out in that Week 18 contest against the Buffalo Bills—completing 22-of-29 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown and adding another 16 yards and a score on his 10 totes.

According to reports, there has been some heavy trade interest surrounding the quarterback this offseason.

Per Mark Daniels of MassLive.com, New England's brass has received "multiple trade inquiries" for Milton.

While a handful of teams addressed their QB woes during free agency, plenty of others still have question marks under center as the 2025 draft draws near.

There likely won't be many options for franchise QB-starved clubs during that event either, as only two players at the position—Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders—rank within the top 50 of the B/R Scouting Department's prospect big board.

For his part, Milton appears open to a move as well. Daniels noted that a source close to the Tennessee product revealed he would "prefer to be on a roster that gives him the best chance to compete for the starting job."

If the Patriots do decide to part ways with Milton, they already have a suitable and cheap replacement to slot behind Maye in Josh Dobbs—a veteran with starting experience who joined New England on a budget two-year, $8 million deal last month.

With that in mind, let's highlight four teams that could make an offer the Patriots couldn't refuse for their coveted backup quarterback.

Cleveland Browns

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Patriots receive: 2025 first-round pick (No. 2 overall)

Browns receive: 2025 first-round pick (No. 4 overall), 2025 third-round pick (No. 77 overall) QB Joe Milton III

The Cleveland Browns will be one of the most intriguing teams to watch leading up to the 2025 NFL draft and during the event itself.

They are sitting on the No. 2 overall pick and have holes up and down the roster to address with it following a brutal 3-14 season, but there's a chance they could choose to trade down.

The Browns' biggest need is still at quarterback. With the Deshaun Watson trade and subsequent contract looking like one of the biggest blunders in NFL history, the team finds itself again searching for a potential franchise passer.

Given general manager Andrew Berry claimed it's "unlikely" his squad will move up to No. 1 overall to ensure the selection of Cam Ward—the top quarterback prospect on the B/R Scouting Department's big board—and the Tennessee Titans appear to be trending toward making that pick, the Browns will have to decide if they want to nab Shedeur Sanders when they are on the clock.

There is a possibility the team does go with the Colorado product, but Cleveland may opt to slide down the board instead. Doing so would allow them to not only pick up some extra capital to rebuild with but also land a potential starting signal-caller.

Cleveland already made one move to bolster the QB room this offseason, trading for Kenny Pickett at the start of the new league year. While he provides the team with upside as a former first-round pick, the Browns could add much-needed depth and set up perhaps the most exciting training camp competition of 2025 by dealing for Milton as well.

Milton and Pickett would both have a shot at becoming the starter for a Browns team that is only a season removed from going 11-6 and making the playoffs with Joe Flacco serving as their QB1 for much of the campaign.

Having either young passer emerge as a capable starter would put Cleveland in a position to be a postseason contender in 2025.

Las Vegas Raiders

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Patriots receive: 2025 fourth-round draft pick (No. 108 overall)

Raiders receive: QB Joe Milton III

The Las Vegas Raiders have signaled their intent to contend in 2025.

By hiring Pete Carroll as head coach and making a splashy trade with the Seattle Seahawks for veteran quarterback Geno Smith, they clearly believe they can bounce back from a disappointing 4-13 campaign in short order.

While the Raiders are optimistic the Smith will be able to lead them back to the postseason for the first time in four years, they should work to put a strong backup and clear succession plan in place for the 34-year-old starter.

Milton could be the perfect option to fill both roles.

Vegas felt the pain of having inadequate options under center last year, as journeyman veteran Gardner Minshew II and inexperienced backup Aidan O'Connell combined to run an offense that averaged a meager 18.2 points per game—the fourth-lowest mark in the league.

Smith's presence and the new regime's scheming could give this side the boost it's looking for, but having a backup like Milton on the roster would be an ideal insurance plan.

If Smith underwhelms outside of Seattle—he struggled during his tenure with both the New York Jets and Los Angeles Chargers earlier in his career—or goes down with injury, the Raiders would be much better off handing the keys to Milton over current QB2 O'Connell.

With nine picks in the 2025 draft, the Raiders shouldn't pass on a rare chance to not only vastly upgrade their quarterback depth but also potentially secure a future starter for the cost of a single mid-rounder.

New York Jets

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Patriots receive: 2025 third-round pick (No. 73 overall), 2026 fourth-round pick

Jets receive: QB Joe Milton III

Head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey opened their New York Jets tenure by making a major change under center. They informed Aaron Rodgers that the club would be moving on without him and subsequently signed Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million deal.

While Fields is unquestionably New York's starter right now and received another vote of confidence this week when Mougey told reporters, "We believe in Justin. We believe we can win with Justin, so we're excited about Justin," Gang Green doesn't have a viable alternative if the 2021 first-round pick fails to meet those expectations.

Tyrod Taylor is the only other proven passer on New York's roster, having one season remaining on the two-year deal he signed in March 2024.

While the 35-year-old has proved to be a competent backup in the past, he's injury-prone and clearly not a long-term option under center.

Given the Jets have decided to roll with Fields and likely won't be able to add a top-flight prospect barring a costly trade up from their No. 7 draft slot, team brass could try to round out the quarterbacks room with a high-upside signal-caller by making a call to a bitter rival.

While the Jets will likely have to be smitten by Milton to put enough capital on the table to convince the Patriots to trade a potential starting QB within the AFC East, such a move would provide New York with a rare combination of competent depth and future starting upside.

It may take a late-Day 2 pick and some extra incentive—perhaps a fourth- or fifth-rounder next year, as giving up two 2025 selections would leave the Jets with just six picks following the deal—to get New England to budge, but Milton's ceiling and ability to take over if Fields fails would be worth it.

Pittsburgh Steelers

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Patriots receive: 2025 third-round draft pick (No. 83 overall)

Steelers receive: QB Joe Milton III

The Pittsburgh Steelers have perhaps the biggest question mark under center of any organization right now.

After parting ways with both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, they seem stuck on hoping a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers will sign and put on a vintage performance that elevates them back into contention.

While the veteran QB could still be in the cards, the team shouldn't hesitate to make a splashy move for Milton regardless.

Milton has the potential to be both the long-term answer to the team's quarterback troubles—a constant issue since Ben Roethlisberger's retirement following the 2021 campaign—and a potential QB1 as early as this upcoming season.

If Rodgers elects to retire or fails to rekindle the magic he was able to summon earlier in his career, Milton would be a perfectly suitable option to hand the reins to.

He's just 25 years old and going into his second season in the league with real potential to become a high-end starter despite his late-Day 3 draft status.

While it would likely cost the Steelers a third- or fourth-round pick to get a deal done, Milton's ceiling is worth the risk. Pittsburgh has little hope of landing a blue-chip prospect from its No. 21 overall slot in Round 1 and likely won't find a prospect of Milton's caliber later in the draft.  

Bringing in a QB who has already impressed evaluators at the NFL level for the price of a late-Day 2 pick would be well worth it for a Pittsburgh franchise that should be desperate to get a competent signal-caller under contract at this point.