Patriots-Bills Inactives: New England Makes Notable QB Change

FOXBORO, Mass. — The Patriots very well might have tipped their hand shortly before Sunday’s matchup with the Buffalo Bills.

Joe Milton III is active for the very first time, which can only mean one thing.

New England is flirting with numerous outcomes as it relates to things at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. It’s probably best for the Patriots to lose the game, as the outcome will not only influence positioning in the 2025 NFL Draft but also their opponents for next season. Milton could be called upon to play, which would give the team an opportunity to evaluate him while also lowering the chances for a disastrous win.

New England placed center Ben Brown, safety Jabrill Peppers and wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk on injured reserve on Saturday, opening up spots for six roster newcomers. The Patriots are expected to play all but one of them, with cornerback Miles Battle, defensive lineman Truman Jones, linebacker Monty Rice, tight end Jack Westover and wide receiver Alex Erickson expected to contribute.

New England made tight end Mitchell Wilcox inactive. Peppers will miss his third consecutive game to close the season, while Brown will miss his second.

The Bills had a lengthy and notable list of inactives, which is what we all expected.

Patriots Inactives
CB Christian Gonzalez
G Lester Cotton
RB Jamycal Hasty
TE Hunter Henry
G Sidy Sow
TE Mitchell Wilcox

Bills Inactives
CB Taron Johnson
WR Amari Cooper
LB Terrell Bernard
CB Christian Benford
DL Gregory Rousseau
OT Dion Dawkins
DL Ed Oliver
DL Daquan Jones

New England and Buffalo will kick things off from Gillette Stadium at 1 p.m. ET.