The Joe Milton III trade buzz isn’t dying down.
New England brᴀss has received “multiple trade inquiries” for the 25-year-old quarterback, according to a Mᴀss Live report Wednesday, roughly a month after the Boston Sports Journal reported the Patriots were “toying with the idea” of moving last year’s sixth-round pick.
Milton, who saw limited playing time in 2024 behind starter Drake Maye and backup Jacoby Brissett, wants to start anew elsewhere, with a source telling Mᴀss Live the former Tennessee product “would prefer to be on a roster that best gives him a chance to compete for the starting job.”
Maye, who like Milton is entering his second year, is locked in as the starter for New England now and the immediate future.
The Patriots shook up their roster following the arrival of head coach Mike Vrabel in January. He replaced Jerod Mayo, who was fired shortly after closing the book on a disastrous 4-13 campaign.
New England signed veteran quarterback Josh Dobbs to a two-year, $8 million contract last month while Brissett joined the Cardinals in free agency.
And while Milton has a fan in Vrabel, the coach kept comments on the future vague this week at the league meetings in Palm Beach, Fla.
“Everybody wants to play. Everybody wants to be the starter, everybody and that’s great to have that atтιтude. And he was ready for his opportunity there late in the season, which I commend him on, just like I would any player that sat there and went through a long season, a difficult season, and then got the opportunity, went out, won a football game, played well, helped his team win,” Vrabel said.
“And then where that leads to, we’ll see as the draft approaches, or where Joe is on April 7 to start our offseason program.”
The 2025 NFL Draft begins on April 24, and the Patriots hold the No. 4 overall pick.
Though it’s unclear what’s next for the Patriots, let alone Milton, the 6-foot-5 signal caller shined in the team’s regular-season finale in January when he went 22-for-29 for 249 yards and one touchdown.
The Patriots are hopeful Maye — last year’s third overall pick – can build off a promising rookie campaign.
In 13 games, Maye completed 66.6 percent of his pᴀsses for 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for two scores.
