2025 NFL free agency is in full swing, and with it comes multiple rumors of trades, signings, and releases. A popular name in the quarterback market in terms of trades is the Patriots’ backup quarterback, Joe Milton III. Milton was a rookie in the 2024 season and was drafted 193rd overall in the 6th round out of the University of Tennessee, also having a previous stint in college with Michigan. Many fans and analysts alike think highly of Milton, even going as far as to have the opinion that he could be a starting quarterback in the NFL, but I just do not get it. Today, I will break down the pros and cons of Milton as a potential starting NFL quarterback and explain why I think he could ultimately be fool’s gold.

Week 18, 2024 NFL Season

Joe Milton III started for the New England Patriots in their final game of the 2024 NFL season against the Buffalo Bills. Milton threw for 241 yards, a touchdown, and completed 75.9 percent of his passes, an impressive stat line for a rookie quarterback’s first start. However, Milton was playing against a Bills team that was resting its starters because they had already locked in their playoff spot. While Milton’s first start is impressive on paper, he has still yet to play true, top-tier NFL talent. Another Tennessee quarterback comes to mind when I think of Milton. Josh Dobbs was electric in the preseason for my Cleveland Browns, but it never translated to regular-season NFL play, the same scares me for Milton in a full NFL season.

Joe Milton III the Prospect

Another sticking point for me when it comes to Joe Milton III is his prospect profile. Milton was a 6th round pick, meaning multiple teams skipped out on him. I am not saying his late draft status is a kiss of death for him, we have seen late-round quarterback talent be successful in the NFL before, Tom Brady being the most obvious example, and Brock Purdy being the most recent. What I am saying is there are plenty of good reasons why Milton was not picked highly. Milton displayed poor accuracy and decision-making at the college level, and despite having the size and athleticism you’d like to see out of a quarterback prospect, Milton never produced at a level you’d expect from an individual of his stature. There are serious flaws in his game, flaws we have only seen worked out by, truly Josh Allen at an NFL level. It would be an uphill battle in my opinion to expect the same thing to happen with Joe.

The Bottom Line

I get it, Joe Milton III is intriguing. As a football fan, I would be lying if I said he wasn’t. But to go as far as to say that teams should reach out to the Patriots to acquire him to be your starter after one good, basically preseason game due to the Bills resting starters is overhyping a 6th round pick a bit too much in my opinion. If you want to bring in Milton for a quarterback battle amongst multiple other quarterbacks, that’s fine, but don’t overpay for him. I’ve seen trade composition packages with picks during day 2 of the draft for Milton and that is too high of an asking price. The bottom line? Milton could be fun to acquire but don’t get your hopes up that it will amount to anything.