FOXBORO, Mass. — New England Patriots fans are desperate for excitement. And with Drake Maye looking increasingly unlikely to start anytime soon, they’re latching onto the other shiny new toy: Joe Milton III.
Milton popped Thursday night in New England’s 17-3 preseason win over the Carolina Panthers, leading two scoring drives while authoring multiple highlight-reel plays. The performance, despite coming against the dregs of Carolina’s roster, undoubtedly will lead to more Milton-Maye comparisons from Boston talking heads and an increasingly apathetic fanbase.
Pro Football Network chatted with Milton about that topic, and more, following his Patriots debut.
Milton Isn’t Worried About His Relationship With Maye
You might’ve seen a recent video of Colin Cowherd, reacting to reports of Maye struggling in camp, suggesting Milton could win the Patriots’ starting QB job. It was a ridiculous take, albeit one that generated debate among fans who aren’t privy to the context offered by attending practices.
Drake Maye is reportedly struggling at Patriots camp…
"Don't be shocked if Joe Milton wins this job." — @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/lqVoZoEyZf
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) August 1, 2024
Milton said he hadn’t seen the viral clip, and he appeared to be telling the truth. Moreover, the sixth-round rookie said he isn’t concerned about people trying to drive a wedge between him and his more-heralded teammate.
“I mean, I feel like we’re both humble enough to be centered and just go out there and do what we can do, and just put our best foot forward every day,” Milton told Pro Football Network. “… I feel like that’s the only thing we can do.
” … I don’t feel like Drake, neither do I, look on social media and look up stuff for that. I feel like we’re both just so focused on being where our feet are at right now.”
To be clear, Milton has zero chance of starting for the Patriots in Week 1. That’s Jacoby Brissett’s job until further notice. And Milton probably won’t see any snaps in 2023 unless both Brissett and Maye suffer injuries.
Though wildly talented, Milton is a raw prospect with little experience in a pro-style offense. He’s run a simplified, conservative offense throughout training camp, and that trend continued in his preseason debut.
Nevertheless, Milton was impressive in his debut and even earned praise from his head coach.
Jerod Mayo Praises Milton After Patriots vs. Panthers
After his first game as an NFL head coach, Mayo was asked to assess Milton’s performance.
“Joe went out there — we know he has a big arm, he has the athleticism,” Mayo said during a post-game news conference. “He’s getting better with his reads every single day. He has natural leadership ability. But it’s not just about one game; it’s about the full body of work.
“So, you can come out here and play well, but you also have to do it on a day-to-day basis in practice. And you gotta gain the confidence of not only the coaches but also your teammates — and this was a step forward for him.”
Mayo was then asked to identify one player who exceeded his expectations. Bill Belichick would’ve scoffed at the question, but Mayo highlighted someone: Milton.
“Honestly, I need to go back and watch the film,” Mayo said. “The easy answer would be Joe. Joe went out there and … I don’t think we’ve ever seen a quarterback here run around as much as he did and still was able to get the ball down the field.
“He’s one of those guys [who exceeded expectations]. It was Joe.”
Milton was informed of Mayo’s remarks during his post-game presser. And though the 24-year-old rookie expressed his gratitude, he made sure to keep things in perspective.
“Man, hearing that from the head coach — thanks to him,” Milton said. “But I feel like I got a lot more work to do. There’s a lot of things in the offense that I need to learn and learn them fast. So, just being hard on myself. That’s the only way I got this far — just being hard on myself.
“So, thanks to Coach Mayo for saying that, but I feel like I just got a lot of work to do. Gotta keep studying. Can’t get complacent.”
“Can’t get complacent.”
— Joe Milton on his performance snd Jerod Mayo praising him
Milton says he still has a lot to learn
–#patriots #nfl #newenglandpatriotsPatriots Coverage Powered by @Gametime @PrizePicks pic.twitter.com/QkXpOtmqvE
— Patriots on CLNS Media (@PatriotsCLNS) August 9, 2024
Milton, Maye, and the rest of the Patriots will take the next two days off before returning to practice on Sunday morning. New England will hold another practice on Monday before welcoming the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday for a joint session in Foxboro.