New Joe Milton Update Prompts Questions as OTAs Resume
The New England Patriots began the second phase of their offseason activities (OTAs) on Wednesday with the start of training camp looming. While it's normal for veteran players to occasionally sit out of these voluntary workouts, it's unusual for rookies to do so since they're supposed to focus on acclimating to the NFL environment.
That's why it's concerning that one of the members of the Patriots' latest rookie class was absent from Wednesday's OTAs.
Patriots News: Joe Milton Misses Wednesday's OTAs
MassLive's Chris Mason reported that quarterback Joe Milton wasn't in attendance during the Patriots' latest OTAs. While Evan Lazar of Patriots.com added that there were several other notable absentees, the 2024 sixth-round selection was the only rookie who was missing.
No sign of rookie QB Joe Milton at this afternoon’s Patriots OTA. pic.twitter.com/02OCOGjrBO
— Chris Mason (@ByChrisMason) May 29, 2024
The rest of New England's QB room — Drake Maye, Bailey Zappe, and Jacoby Brissett — was in attendance for early footwork drills on Wednesday, making Milton's absence even more notable. It'll be interesting to learn why he was missing during a crucial time for first-year players.
Hopefully, the situation isn't serious and the 24-year-old signal-caller was simply given a day to rest. The Patriots signed Milton to his NFL rookie deal just two weeks ago after drafting him with the 193rd overall pick in Detroit last month.
Milton was one of the more seasoned prospects at the 2024 NFL Draft, having played three seasons at Michigan and another trio at Tennessee. Transferring to the Volunteers wound up paying off as he eventually forced himself into the starting role during the 2022 campaign. From there, the former Orange Bowl MVP racked up 3,784 passing yards and 30 touchdowns with just five interceptions across 21 appearances.
Assuming that he's healthy by training camp, Milton will likely be competing with Zappe for the QB3 job. Considering how uninspiring the latter's 2023 performance was, the door is open for the rookie to steal the emergency quarterback job.
The Patriots still have six more OTA sessions between now and June 7, so we'll likely know the severity of Milton's situation sooner rather than later.
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