Joe Milton III of New England Patriots taking a snap.Joe Milton III (Photo via @Patriots Twitter)
New England Patriots rookie quarterback Joe Milton III has broken the internet with a ridiculous Madden-like run in his NFL preseason debut.

The Patriots began preseason play with a home tilt against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium. Rookie head coach Jerod Mayo gave starter Jacoby Brissett and rookie Drake Maye limited action before eventually turning to third-stringer Bailey Zappe and Joe Milton III.

Late in the third quarter, the Tennessee product reminded everyone of his ridiculous athleticism by dancing his way past Carolina defenders and turning a would-be sack into a 12-yard gain.

Check out Milton’s ridiculous and jaw-dropping Madden-like run here:

Joe Milton’s highlight reel run sent social media into a frenzy, with some even calling for him to be the starting quarterback:

The Patriots drafted Joe Milton III in the sixth round (193rd overall) following an excellent final season at Tennessee. He completed 64.7 percent of his pass attempts for 2,813 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions, 299 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo clarified two weeks ago that Brissett is the QB1 for now. Maye, the No. 3 pick of this year’s draft, will presumably be the second-stringer.

Milton is likely fighting with Zappe for the QB3 job, but more highlight-reel runs like the one we saw tonight against Carolina will only help his case to make the 53-man roster.

Patriots Begin A New Era Of Football

The 2024 season will mark the first time in 25 years where Bill Belichick is not on the sidelines as the New England head coach. Belichick and owner Robert Kraft parted ways in January following a miserable 4-13 record, the franchise’s worst finish since 1992.

Mayo was promoted to the head coach role following Belichick’s departure, and scout Eliot Wolf was promoted to the executive vice president of player personnel role.

New England will open up their 2024 season with a road contest against Joe Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 8.