Joe Milton Fires Back at Angry Patriots Fans

New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton has sent a rather strong message to the angry fan base.

Jan 5, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton III (19) throws a pass against the Buffalo Bills in the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots entered the season finale at the top of the NFL Draft order. By the time quarterback Joe Milton was finished carving up the Buffalo Bills' defense, the Patriots had slipped to fourth.

This obviously did not sit well with New England fans, who just suffered through their second 4-13 campaign and were hoping to have a shot at Travis Hunter in April.

While the Hunter dream is not dead, it is probably on life support, and as a result, some of the Foxborough faithful are upset with Milton, who went 22-for-29 with 241 yards and a touchdown in what represented his NFL debut.

Well, Milton has responded to the fans with a rather strong message.

"I ain't played football since preseason," Milton said during a stream. "If y'all was in my shoes and y'all was given an opportunity to play, why would you go out there and not show up and show out. So y'all can talk about me if I lose? ... Make that make sense. They want me to tank for the first pick."

𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚: Joe Milton III responds to angry #Patriots fans on IG Live who are mad about not getting the 1st overall pick:

"I ain't played football since preseason. If y'all was in my shoes and y'all was given an opportunity to play, why would you go out there and not show… pic.twitter.com/Ug11EdVERa

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 9, 2025

It is silly to expect Milton—who was a seventh-round pick last spring and absolutely needs to prove himself on the NFL level—to basically throw the game away so the Pats can have a shot at Hunter.

Let's be honest: Milton is probably not going to be spending his entire career with the Patriots. Heck, he might get traded this offseason.

Drake Maye is clearly the quarterback of the future, so there really isn't much room for Milton to do anything but be a backup in New England.

His Week 18 performance was essentially an audition for other teams, and apparently, it worked, as trade buzz is already starting for the University of Tennessee product.

If you want to be angry at someone, be angry with the Pats organization for putting the franchise in this miserable position.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• 3 Best Trade Destinations for Patriots QB Joe Milton
• Patriots Urged to Pursue Major Offseason WR Trade
• Patriots to Interview Mike Vrabel for HC Job
• Patriots Receiving Trade Interest in QB
• Patriots Predicted to Make Controversial NFL Draft Decision