Joe Milton spoke candidly about his feelings regarding the New England Patriots, stating he has no regrets—unlike how he felt about the Super Bowl.
The backup quarterback, formerly of the Patriots, expressed that he felt “disrespected” by Jerod Mayo’s management when it came to his placement on the depth chart during the 2024 season.
Milton, who was traded to the Cowboys ahead of the 2025 season, felt overlooked. He mentioned that even after Drake Maye took his position last year, Jacoby Brissett remained ahead of him on the hierarchy.
“I think it could’ve been different if Jacoby had been the starter and Drake was the backup, while I was just the emergency quarterback,” Milton shared during an interview on WEEI.
He elaborated that with Drake in the starting role, Brissett’s situation felt unfair. “You’re taking his job away, but then you keep him at No. 2 because he’s a veteran. It’s just me and Drake in practice. But he’s still No. 2. I really felt disrespected,” Milton added.
The Patriots drafted Maye third overall in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, while Milton was selected in the fifth round.
Throughout camp, both Milton and Maye were vying for the starting quarterback position alongside Brissett, who was heading into his eighth season.
Brissett started the initial five games; then Maye took over in Week 6, leading the team all the way to the Super Bowl that year. Milton, on the other hand, saw limited action, participating in just one game—a starting role against the Bills in Week 17, where they won 23-16. But the downside? New England ultimately lost the No. 1 pick for the 2025 NFL Draft.
Milton acknowledged that tension had intensified as the season progressed. He recounted a practice moment: “I threw a deep ball over cornerback Christian Gonzalez, and while it was mid-air, I turned just to glance at Mayo. Elliott Wolf was right by him, and they could only watch as the ball completed a touchdown given to the scout team receiver. They just shook their heads. That really stood out to me.”
Under new management with Mike Vrabel, the Patriots opted to trade Milton along with a seventh-round pick to the Cowboys for a fifth-round pick in April. Sources indicated that Milton’s attitude was a factor in this decision.
Insider Greg Bedard had characterized Milton at that time as “not a good guy.” Additionally, there were reports suggesting Milton expressed a desire to leave if he did not receive serious consideration for the starting quarterback job.
After joining the Cowboys, Milton faced a hurdle in Dak Prescott, the established quarterback. Ultimately, he played in just four games, did not start, and attempted only 24 passes.
