The New England Patriots smartly traded Joe Milton III this summer. A sixth-round pick a year ago, Milton did enough to his single rookie appearance to intrigue NFL decision-makers and drum up value. With New England locked on Drake Maye as its next franchise QB, it made sense to cash in while Milton's value was highest.
Now the 25-year-old joins the Dallas Cowboys, where he will serve as Dak Prescott's primary backup. After the nightmarish season Dallas just had with Prescott out of commission, the hope is that Milton can restore some stability as the emergency option. Hopefully Dallas never has to go to him, but if Prescott misses time again, Milton sure feels like a higher-upside gamble than Cooper Rush or Trey Lance ever did.
For what it's worth, Milton sounds excited about the opportunity. He called it a "blessing" to join the Cowboys organization. He listed four reasons to The Athletic's Jon Machota for why he's excited: warm weather, indoor home games, the "America's team" label, and the chance to learn from Dak.
All fair points, but the Cowboys aren't exactly a model organization. Milton's excitement about his new situation has therefore set off a few alarm bells in Foxboro.
Joe Milton's Cowboys praise has Patriots fans on edge
Last season in New England was... less than ideal. Attempting the transition delicately from Bill Belichick's decades-long tenure to a new era, the Patriots hired a young and inexperienced Jerod Mayo as head coach. He felt like the perfect compromise between 'The Patriot Way' Belichick preached in Foxboro for so long and the need for a fresh voice.
It did not work out. Mayo just did not have a handle on things. The front office did him no favors with that roster, but New England underperformed even its own low expectations. The Patriots won four games and felt like the NFL's most aimless franchise, aside from Drake Maye's Pro Bowl-worthy rookie campaign.
New England quickly pivoted to another Belichick disciple for this season, but Mike Vrabel brings far more experience as a once-successful head coach in Tennessee. The Patriots have revamped the roster around Maye and appear to be trending in the right direction, although Stefon Diggs' off-field actions have overshadowed things of late.
Vrabel is the culture-setter this Patriots team needs. He hails from the Belichick tree and has plenty of history with the organization. He runs a tight ship, but does so in a fashion that's distinct to him. New England is hoping that an older coaching staff and a few more vets (and high draft picks) sprinkled in at key positions can help them stack a few more W's.
That would certainly be ideal, as Milton clearly did not feel attached to New England. There's nothing the Patriots can do about the cold weather or their lack of "America's team" status. But to join the Cowboys and immediately feel rejuvenated when Jerry Jones is running the show, and with that track record of backup quarterback development, is a dire sign.
Milton did not call out the Patriots directly, but fans can't help but read between the lines and wonder just how bad things were in 2024.