Patriots' Rookie Joe Milton Replaces Drake Maye, Scores Touchdown vs. Bills in NFL Debut

Jan 5, 2025, 06:12 PM

New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who was listed as questionable with a right hand injury, started Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills but played only one series before being replaced by fellow rookie Joe Milton III. Milton, a sixth-round pick out of Tennessee making his NFL debut, entered the game on the Patriots’ second offensive series. He completed six of six passes for 51 yards on his first drive, which included three third-down conversions, and scored his first career touchdown on a one-yard run after a fake handoff. Milton celebrated the score with a standing backflip. The Patriots took a 7-0 lead over the Bills early in the first quarter.