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Joe Milton III Celebrates First NFL Touchdown With Sweet Backflip in End Zone

The rookie had some fun after his first NFL TD.
Michael Kadlick|
Milton III took over for Drake Maye after one drive for the Patriots on Sunday.
Milton III took over for Drake Maye after one drive for the Patriots on Sunday. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

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New England PatriotsBuffalo Bills | News, Scores, Schedules & Standings

In their quest for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, the Patriots benched rookie quarterback Drake Maye after just one drive on Sunday.

His replacement? Fellow rookie quarterback Joe Milton III—who started his NFL career off with a bang.

After immediately leading his offense down to the one-yard line, the former Tennessee Volunteers phenom took a zone read option across the goal line for a score. He then celebrated with this sweet backflip.

Check it out:

Milton finished his first NFL drive 6-of-6 passing for 51 yards and the touchdown, giving New England an early 7-0 lead over the Bills.

With head coach Jerod Mayo's future as the Patriots head coach very much in limbo, the vibes on Sunday in Foxborough were understandably low. Milton was at least able to give Gillette Stadium some life.

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Mike Kadlick
MICHAEL KADLICK

Mike Kadlick is a senior NFL news writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.

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