Report: New England Patriots discussing Joe Milton trade after Josh Dobbs signing

The New England Patriots have reportedly had discussions on trading quarterback Joe Milton III, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. This comes after the team singed Josh Dobbs to a two-year deal earlier on Monday.

If a deal is done, it would send Milton “to the right situation to continue his development in the NFL,” per Schultz’s report. Milton threw for 241 yards on 22 of 29 passing and a touchdown during his lone start against the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 5 during the team’s regular season finale.

The New England Patriots took two quarterbacks during the 2024 NFL Draft. The first was Drake Maye, who New England took with the No. 3 overall pick. Milton was the second, going 193rd overall in the sixth round.

Maye started 13 games for New England during his rookie season, passing for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. It is assumed that he will be the starting quarterback moving forward, while Dobbs serves as the backup.

For Milton, it’s not a done deal that he’s on his way out of New England as of this report. However, it appears he’s the third option in the Patriots’ QB room after they acquired Dobbs on Monday, who is another product of the Tennessee Volunteers.

Before arriving in New England, Milton played six seasons of college football at both Michigan and Tennessee, starting the 2023 season for the Volunteers. During that 2023 season, he had a completion percentage of 64.7 percent for 2,813 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Prior to the 2024 NFL Draft, Joe Milton’s college coach and current Tennessee headman Josh Heupel shared what he thinks NFL teams are going to get in Milton. His performance in his lone start against the Bills in January goes a long way in solidifying his former coach’s statement.

“I think it’s a great story of a young guy that recognized areas that he could grow in, trusted the staff and what we were doing schematically to help him grow. Continues to be a great teammate,” Heupel said.

“You look at his relationship with Hendon [Hooker], who he was in an initial quarterback battle — Hendon here today cheering him on. It just speaks to the maturity and the care factor and the trust that we’ve built inside of this, his growth as a person and as a player, can’t wait to see him throw it around here in a minute.”