Last year, the New England Patriots selected two quarterbacks in the NFL draft. New England took University of North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye with the third overall pick and University of Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III with the 193rd pick in the sixth round. While Maye was always going to be the future, drafting a second young QB is never a bad idea.
Although Milton was on the older side at 24, his extensive college reps may come in handy if he was called upon. That said, when New England's new coaching staff took over this offseason, there were reports that the 25-year-old could be on the trade block. Milton appeared in one game last season, completing 75.9% (22/29) of his passes for 241 yards and one touchdown.
Even though it's just one game, it brought intrigue from other teams to Milton. According to Mark Daniels and Karen Guregian of MassLive.com, the Patriots have received multiple trade inquiries for Milton. Additionally, Milton reportedly prefers to be traded to a spot where he could start.
The Patriots have received multiple trade inquiries for Joe Milton III, according to multiple sources.
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) April 2, 2025
Here’s more on this situation from @kguregian and I: https://t.co/ZPZUuPVvd2
While that's not a guarantee, there are certainly a few opportunities out there for the second-year quarterback. With that being said, here are three possible places Milton could land.
1. Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are one of the few teams still deciding who their starting QB will be in 2025. While Anthony Richardson was drafted to be the franchise quarterback, he is entering his third season competing for the starting job.
The 22-year-old's starting job is up for grabs due to his inaccuracy and other struggles. Over his first two seasons, Richardson has only completed 50.6% (176/348) of his passes for 2,391 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. Furthermore, Richardson has had attitude issues, including tapping out during a game last season because he needed to rest.
As a result, the Colts signed Daniel Jones to push Richardson this offseason. That said, Jones has also not had the strongest start to his career, so adding Milton to the conversation would push both players even more.
Clearly, the 25-year-old is hungry to prove he can start in the NFL, and Indianapolis is a perfect place to earn the starting spot.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
Unlike Indianapolis, the Pittsburgh Steelers don't have a true starting quarterback. Currently, Pittsburgh is waiting to see what Aaron Rodgers decides to do. However, at the NFL owners meetings, Steelers owner Art Rooney II said the team wouldn't wait forever for Rodgers.
Therefore, if Rodgers waits much longer, Pittsburgh could draft a quarterback or trade for Milton. Right now, many draft analysts believe the Steelers could draft Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart in the first round. Even so, Dart is projected to have hurdles to overcome to become a good NFL starter.
Milton, on the other hand, has at least played a game at the NFL level, even if it was against backups. While that type of sample isn't the best measure to use for projection, it might be safer for the Steelers to bet on that rather than college to the pros.
For New England, trading with the Steelers would be the best-case scenario. QB-needy teams will give up the most to get a player they believe will help them, which will maximize the Patriots' return.
3. Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos aren't exactly a great fit for Milton's preferences. Denver's current starting quarterback is Bo Nix. Nix was selected 12th overall in last year's NFL draft, so his starting spot is locked down.
Nonetheless, Milton joining the Broncos would allow him to learn from Sean Payton. Payton helped Nix exceed everyone's expectations as a rookie.
The 25-year-old finished his rookie season, completing 66.3% (376/567) of his passes for 3,775 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. This performance earned Nix third place in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
While both Nix and Milton are the same age, acquiring him would give the Broncos a quarterback room full of potential. As it stands right now, Denver's backup is Jarrett Stidham, and their QB3 is Sam Ehlinger. Milton proved he has a higher upside in one game than Stidham and Ehlinger have in their multiple career starts.
Even though this doesn't necessarily fit what Milton wants, if Denver is interested, don't be surprised if that's where he ends up.