Joe Milton III trade means Patriots avoided catastrophe ahead of 2025 season

For most of the 2025 offseason, there was considerable speculation surrounding the future of second-year quarterback Joe Milton III with the Patriots and whether he would remain as Drake Maye's backup for the upcoming season. With new personnel calling the shots, there was no loyalty to be had to Milton, so it seemed more likely than not that the former Tennessee starter would be elsewhere this fall.

That had been the narrative since Milton helped the Patriots secure one last win during the season finale game against the Bills, a game that caught the attention of quarterback-needy teams across the league, who were prepared for an underwhelming incoming rookie class.

It put him on the radar as a likely trade target, which ultimately occurred last week when the Patriots shipped Milton to the Cowboys for a fifth-round pick. It's not necessarily a better team for a starting opportunity, but it is reportedly where Milton wanted to go. Therefore, the Patriots honored that wish.

Vrabel and Co. didn't have to do that by any means, especially since recent reporting claims the team received better offers from other teams. However, it appears that the new head coach was hoping to avoid a potential disaster by moving Milton when he did, and it looks like he made the right call at the right time.

Joe Milton III's desire to be a starting quarterback, even over Drake Maye, was enough reason for the Patriots to trade him ASAP

In the days since Milton was traded to the Cowboys, a lot has been said regarding the move and how various people with the Patriots felt about the decision. Disregarding the unfavorable rumors surrounding Maye, there are more credible sources that detail Vrabel's mindset going into the trade and reveal why it happened when it did.

According to Karen Guregian of MassLive, Milton was determined to be a starter in the NFL, even for the Patriots, and believed he could give Maye a run for his money if given the chance.

"Based on intel gathered from sources during the week, Milton fancied himself a starter. He didn’t see himself being given a legitimate chance to compete with Drake Maye.

He also believed he was good enough to give Maye a run, if not overtake him for the top job."

It's an admirable mindset to have, even if he was a sixth-round draft pick, and it's hard to argue that Milton shouldn't have that opportunity to prove he can be a starter in the league. The problem, of course, was that it would not happen in New England, so the Patriots keeping him around much longer could have created quite a controversy that could have been easily avoided.

Mike Reiss of ESPN provided more context to Vrabel's decision to move on from Milton abruptly last week by laying out why the timing was crucial: because mini camp begins this week and if there were no long-term plans for Milton, there was no need to keep him around.

"The timing, according to a source familiar with the team's thinking, wasn't a coincidence. Monday marks the start of the team's voluntary program, and Vrabel views that as a meaningful checkpoint in the process of establishing team culture and the dynamic that ideally unfolds within each position group."

This also aligns with the mentality that Vrabel has shared numerous times since the Patriots hired him earlier this year, namely that the team wants players who genuinely want to be on the team. That might not be entirely applicable to Milton, but a starting opportunity would not be given in New England as long as Maye was on the roster, so that could be interpreted as not wanting to be on the team.

Had Maye not been as impressive as a rookie, perhaps Milton could have stayed around and actually competed for the starting role. However, that wasn't the case, and although he played well against the Bills, it was mostly their second-string players, so that is something the Patriots also had to take into consideration.

Additionally, surrounding Maye with a capable veteran backup was probably a better approach, while also adding a rookie who would inevitably become a career-long backup would benefit the offense in the long term. That's the expected route Vrabel and Co. will take, hence the signing of Joshua Dobbs and an eventual late-round pick in this year's draft.