Patriots insider offers interesting theory on why former Vols QB Joe Milton isn't receiving more reps during training camp

Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Joe Milton had a tremendous NFL preseason debut for the New England Patriots last week, completing four-of-six passes for 54 yards and a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers while also rushing for 22 yards on five attempts.

Despite the solid performance against Carolina, Milton, who is battling Bailey Zappe for the No. 3 quarterback job in New England, reportedly received just two snaps at practice this past Sunday.

According to The Boston Globe's Ben Volin, this has been common during training camp. Milton has spent a lot of time watching instead of taking reps.

From The Boston Globe : Milton should be getting a ton of reps, especially after he showed flashes Thursday. Instead, for the last week and a half, he has been mostly a bystander for the second half of practice. Sunday, he took two measly snaps.

Volin speculated that one reason Milton hasn't received more reps during training camp might be to shield first-round draft pick Drake Maye from unnecessary quarterback drama while he continues to develop.

"Perhaps there’s simply not enough reps to go around after Brissett and Maye get what they need," wrote Volin. " Or, perhaps, the Patriots don’t want Milton playing as well or better than Maye and creating unwanted drama ."

Volin might be on to something there.

It's far too early to know what kind of careers Maye and Milton will have in the NFL. But if Maye struggles during open practices and Milton excels, fans might start calling for Milton to play over Maye. And that's not something that's in the Patriots' plans. Maye is their guy. After spending an early first round pick on him, the Patriots badly need the former North Carolina standout to be a franchise-caliber quarterback. And the last thing they need is the rookie dealing with quarterback drama because of another rookie quarterback in Milton.

NFL teams can't control what narratives take off on the internet. But they can try to prevent certain narratives from forming.

Considering that Milton is likely to win the No. 3 quarterback job by default this fall (keeping Zappe on the roster would be a bit redundant and Milton can get in-season reps), it wouldn't be a surprise if Volin's theory proves to be correct -- even though New England will likely never admit it.

Related: Former Vols OC Alex Golesh gets candid about taking over a tough situation at Tennessee in 2021