Terry Bradshaw Urges Patriots to Bench Quarterback Drake Maye Amid Struggles

Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw has proposed a strategy for the New England Patriots to address quarterback Drake Maye's early-season struggles: bench him.

Bradshaw suggested on the Fox pregame show that sitting Maye, even temporarily, could be a way to help him regain his confidence. "Sometimes you get into such a rut that you lose your confidence, which is what’s happening. Sometimes, you have to bench ’em," Bradshaw stated. "You just sit him down. Doesn’t mean he’s not your No. 1. You just sit him down and take that focus…That’s how you keep going forward."

Maye's performance through the first three games of the season has drawn scrutiny. Entering Week 4, he had thrown only one touchdown pass against six interceptions. However, he led the Patriots to a comeback victory against the Buffalo Bills in Week 4, finishing the game 22-for-37 with 269 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. This win brought the Patriots' record to 2-2 on the season.

Fellow panelist Michael Strahan expressed reservations about benching Maye, acknowledging the difficulty given Maye's potential and his performance in the previous season, where he was an MVP candidate and led the team to a Super Bowl appearance. Strahan commented that it would be "very hard to bench him at this point."

Maye connected with tight end Efton Chism III for a go-ahead touchdown with under two minutes remaining in the game against the Bills, a drive that spanned eight plays and 73 yards. A subsequent two-point conversion pass from Maye to Rhamondre Stevenson extended the Patriots' lead to 29-26, which proved to be the final score.

The Patriots' quarterback depth includes former Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito, who started eight games for New York in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Additionally, top receiver A.J. Brown has been sidelined with a sprained ankle, an injury he sustained in the season opener, impacting the team's offensive capabilities.