Patriots' Mike Vrabel Gets Blunt on Joe Milton Trade

The New England Patriots traded quarterback Joe Milton III earlier this month, which did not come as much of a surprise given all of the trade speculation that had been surrounding Milton since his strong performance in the Patriots' season finale.

However, some rather interesting reports have emerged about why New England decided to move Milton when it did, with it becoming rather clear that the Pats wanted to avoid any locker room issues.

Well, head coach Mike Vrabel elaborated on the trade this week, providing a rather blunt answer when asked about the team's decision to jettison last year's sixth-round draft pick.

“Well, we felt like his reps were going to be decreased as we worked through the offseason,” Vrabel told reporters. “And we felt like, just like every other decision, we’re going to try to do what’s best for the team. That’s the decision that we ultimately made.”

Everyone knows that Drake Maye is the Patriots' quarterback of the future, so Milton was never going to get a legitimate chance to start in New England. But Milton seemed to believe that he should be starting, which resulted in the Pats sending him elsewhere.

Milton is now playing for the Dallas Cowboys, where he will be serving as Dak Prescott's backup heading into 2025. However, with Prescott aging and coming off of a rough, injury-plagued 2024 campaign, Milton probably stands a better chance of eventually winning a starting job with the Cowboys than he did in Foxborough.

The 25-year-old played his collegiate football at Tennessee and showed some very strong physical tools with the Volunteers, displaying terrific arm strength and solid athleticism. However, his throwing accuracy has always been a question, which is why he slipped so far in the draft last April.