That means Milton could be preparing to make his first appearance in an NFL regular season game. On the Patriots’ list of inactives, there were a total of six players ruled out for the game, including cornerback Christian Gonzalez and tight end Hunter Henry.

Joe Milton III offered his perspective on fans criticizing the Patriots for not losing their final game of the season.

Rookie quarterback Joe Milton III made his NFL debut for the New England Patriots in Sunday afternoon's Week 18 regular season finale versus the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium, and he made quite the first impression.

That puts the Patriots in a unique position of already having a franchise quarterback in Drake Maye and quite possibly another top-tier option in Milton. There are currently two options for the Patriots: keep Milton as insurance for Maye, or look to move him for draft picks.

The New England Patriots are set at quarterback from a starting perspective for years to come. Drake Maye took the starting job this season, ran with it, and proved that he is worthy of the "franchise quarterback" title.