Former Michigan quarterback drawing interest from several NFL teams

Jerred Johnson | Jan 6, 2025

Michigan Football Helmet / Christopher Breiler

A former Michigan quarterback known for his cannon of an arm has raised some eyebrows amongst quarterback needy NFL teams. Patriots QB Joe Milton had an amazing showing on Sunday against a Buffalo Bills team that was resting many of its defensive starters. With a loss, the Patriots could have locked in the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. But Milton, who threw for 241 yards and a touchdown, along with rushing for another touchdown, helped secured the win for New England. With the win, the Patriots gave the No. 1 pick to the Tennessee Titans.

The Bills defense may have been without many starters, but Milton's productive performance drew some attention on a national level. Sports analyst Steve Palazzolo reported that, although the sample size is small, some NFL teams are expressing interest in the former Wolverine QB.

Hearing multiple QB-needy teams have inquired about Patriots QB Joe Milton
— Steve Palazzolo (@StevePalazzolo_) January 6, 2025

Milton played for the Wolverines from 2018-20 before transferring to Tennessee for three seasons. During his time at Michigan, Milton was known for his immense arm talent but was lamented for his lack of accuracy and ability to put touch on his deep passes. He finished his career at Michigan with 1,194 yard passing and 5 touchdowns.

At Tennessee, Milton began to live up to his physical gifts. He threw for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns during his three seasons in Knoxville. Before being derailed by an injury his final season, he was even in the Heisman contention. Eventually Milton would go on to become a 6th round (189th overall) selection of the Patriots in the 2024 NFL Draft.

David Butler II-Imagn Images

Given his potential, It will be interesting to see if some teams are willing to give the big armed QB a shot. Although he presents a slight risk as an unproven talent, we've seen at least one other example where a 6th round draft pick from Michigan turned out to be pretty good in the league.

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