It’s probably safe to assume that Jalen Milroe didn’t enjoy his time with Bill O’Brien.
The Alabama quarterback, who was coached by O’Brien for two years, took aim at the Patriots offensive coordinator during a Rose Bowl press conference Thursday afternoon. Milroe was asked whether he’d ever been asked to change positions despite playing quarterback throughout his high school and collegiate careers.
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“All my life, even when I was in college,” Milroe told reporters. “My own offensive coordinator, Bill O’Brien, told me I shouldn’t play quarterback. So, it’s a lot of things I can have motivation on, and that’s something I have motivation from.”
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That led to this exchange:
Reporter: “What was your reaction to Bill O’Brien telling you you shouldn’t play quarterback?”
Milroe: “How would you feel if I told you you sucked?”
Reporter: “I probably wouldn’t like it.”
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Milroe: “OK then. So, that’s exactly how I felt. So, the biggest thing for me, be true to myself and stay the same. Nothing changed about me. Only thing that changed was I had an opportunity and I seized it.”
Milroe, a dual-threat QB, spent both his seasons under O’Brien backing up Bryce Young. After Young left for the NFL and O’Brien left for New England, Milroe won an offseason quarterback competition to become Alabama’s starter.
His season didn’t get off to a great start, and he got benched in Week 3, but Milroe eventually improved to the point that he finished top-10 in Heisman Trophy voting.
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As for O’Brien, it’s impossible not to connect Milroe’s comments to the Patriots’ handling of rookie quarterback/receiver Malik Cunningham.
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Much to the dismay of some of his teammates, Cunningham recently was signed off the Patriots’ practice squad by the Baltimore Ravens. Multiple players, including tackle Trent Brown, believe Cunningham should’ve gotten an opportunity to play quarterback in New England rather than being forced to learn receiver.
Whether the decision to make Cunningham play receiver was O’Brien’s or Bill Belichick’s, or part of a truly collaborative process, is unknown. However, O’Brien recently said he was part of the New England contingent that made Cunningham play receiver during a workout before the 2023 NFL Draft. The Patriots were the only team that worked Cunningham out at receiver during the pre-draft process.
None of this means that O’Brien — who knows quite a lot about football — was wrong. The jury very much is out on whether Cunningham can play QB in the pros, and a position switch ultimately might be in Milroe’s best interests.
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Still, Milroe’s shot at O’Brien was interesting, and there is a line to draw to the 2023 Patriots.
Featured image via John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports Images
