So much for quiet exits. Joe Milton’s departure from New England didn’t just shake up the quarterback room — it blew the lid off the Patriots’ carefully guarded locker room culture.
The former Tennessee standout is now in Dallas, but not before reportedly leaving a bad taste behind. According to Greg Bedard, “not a good dude” is how Milton was viewed inside the building. Why? Because he dared to compete for the starting quarterback job.
That’s not nothing in Foxborough. Even with Bill Belichick gone, the Patriots are still clinging to the culture he built — one rooted in loyalty, silence, and falling in line. You come in, shut up, and do your job. That’s the Patriot Way.
But Milton wasn’t about to play the backup role without a fight.
The Patriots QB Battle That Wasn’t
Despite the presence of veteran Jacoby Brissett and Maye looming as the franchise’s future, Milton saw a wide-open QB room last season. Maye was the chosen one, sure, but he was raw. Unproven. Meanwhile, Milton showed flashes of something real — especially in a Week 18 game against a Buffalo Bills team that was just going through the motions. But it was still the kind of flash that makes coaches and fans pause and wonder if they’ve got something better right under their nose.
Instead of turning into a genuine QB battle, it became a referendum on culture. Competing for the job wasn’t seen as a challenge — it was perceived by some as a threat.
During his tenure at the University of Tennessee, Milton didn’t carry that rep. He handled being benched for Hendon Hooker without drama and even mentored Nico Iamaleava. “The reality is that Milton likely saw the opportunity to be the Patriots’ starting quarterback last year,” Colton Pickard of All For Tennessee writes.
Now he’s a Cowboy, behind Dak Prescott — for now. Dallas may end up being the place where he finally gets the clean slate he never had in New England.
