To finish off their 2024 campaign, the New England Patriots sent out sixth-round rookie quarterback Joe Milton III in their final contest in Week 18 against the Buffalo Bills, giving the first-year signal caller some in-game reps for the first time in the regular season.

It was in that contest that Milton III had a field day. The rookie finished the game with some impressive numbers, completing 22 of his 29 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown, leading the Patriots to their fourth victory of the year, albeit against many fan’s desires.

But that strong performance from Milton III could snowball into something more for the Patriots this offseason, and maybe even a trade involving their young signal caller after he put the Bills, and potentially the rest of the league, on notice at the end of the year.

ESPN’s Aaron Schatz predicts the Patriots to ultimately trade away Milton III this offseason, projecting a return of a third or fourth-rounder being on the table.

“There could be interest around the league in Milton because of the overall weakness of this year’s quarterback draft class,” Schatz said. “The rookie showed promise in Week 18 against the Bills’ backups with a 72.4 QBR. If New England can turn three more years of a sixth-round pick into four more years of a third- or fourth-round pick, that’s usually going to be a win for a roster. Especially when the only playing time Milton had during the regular season was a finale game against backups because the Patriots already have their quarterback of the future in Drake Maye.”

If the Patriots could get a return in the ballpark of a day two draft pick, moving off of Milton III could be a wise decision in the mind of New England’s front office.

Instead of having a strong quarterback talent sit behind Drake Maye for the foreseeable future, the Patriots could sell high on a hot commodity and get an appealing return their way in the process.

There’s value in having a stable and solidified backup quarterback, and Milton III has clearly shown to have that ability in a limited sample size. However, if he can be utilized as an asset to improve the surrounding cast of New England’s starting quarterback, that could be the ideal direction to turn.

It does take two to tango, and the Patriots would need an opposing team to offer up a strong enough package to force their hand in trading Milton III. Yet, if a worthwhile offer comes across the phone lines of New England’s front office, a deal to ship out the signal caller after one year in the building might just be the best course of action.