The New England Patriots are in the thick of an intense quarterback competition during their first training camp without Bill Belichick in two decades.
Veteran Jacoby Brissett currently leads the race to start in Week 1, but he faces stiff competition from first-round pick Drake Maye.
Maye is seen as the franchise quarterback of the future but has struggled in the early part of camp.
Also on the quarterback depth chart is fellow rookie Joe Milton III (not to mention Bailey Zappe).
There were some who wondered if Milton would be better off switching positions in order to have a more impactful NFL career.
However, the Patriots are giving him a chance to compete at the position and prove that his rare abilities – such as his ultra-powerful arm – can effectively translate to the NFL level.
Regardless of what the future has in store for Milton, very few people expect him to win the starting QB job.
That’s no knock on Milton. After all, Brissett is a respected veteran who has proven that he is more than capable of winning games at the NFL level.
Also, the organization has so much invested in Maye that you know he’s going to get his chance at some point. Whether that’s right off the bat or not remains to be seen.
However, there is one notable figure who believes Milton has more than a fighting chance to win the starting job … That would be none other than FS1’s Colin Cowherd.
“Don’t be shocked if Joe Milton wins this job,” Cowherd said this week on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd.”
Needless to say, fan reaction to Cowherd’s statement was harsh.
However, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reported that Milton has outperformed Maye in the initial practices of training camp.
“I wrote after last Thursday’s practice that Milton is the ‘wow’ quarterback at camp – the guy with the best size, best athleticism, and biggest arm,” Volin stated.
“Now I’ll take it a step further: Milton outplayed Maye over the first six practices of camp. You can’t tell which player is the No. 3 overall pick (Maye) and which is the sixth-round flier (Milton).”
The competition between Brissett, Maye, and Milton is expected to intensify as the preseason progresses.
Brissett, who began training camp as the projected Week 1 starter, remains confident in his position.
“Two things can be true: Like I can be perfect for the situation, but I’m the perfect guy to start, too,” Brissett said. “Don’t take that away from me either. I fully expect myself to be the starter as long as I am here.
“Whatever happens outside of that, that has nothing to do with me. That doesn’t mean I little myself for somebody else. That just means like hey, I’m not too big for a situation to where I can go out there and perform but also go out there and help my teammates and help lead this team.”
What are your thoughts on Cowherd’s statement?
Do you think there’s any chance that Milton actually wins the starting job???