Terry Bradshaw told to 'retire' after 'unbelievably bad' performance on FOX NFL Sunday

NFL fans are calling for Terry Bradshaw to step down from the broadcasting booth following his Sunday stint with NFL on Fox.

Before the face-off between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Carolina Panthers, the 74 year old veteran and football pundit left viewers unimpressed as he tried to mimic a Carolina accent while previewing the match. His failed attempt sparked instant critique on Twitter, reports the Mirror US .

An unhappy viewer penned: "Terry Bradshaw, I'm so sorry, but I can't even understand you anymore. Please leave the studio, man."

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Another fan took to Twitter, quipping: "Terry Bradshaw sounded like Forrest Gump-I've lived in NC for 25 years, and I've never heard anyone sound like that."

A sympathetic contribution read: "C'mon Terry, the people of North Carolina have suffered enough this week."

The retirement calls grew louder when one tweet simply declared: "He needs to retire."

with another adding, "Oh, by the way, FOX NFL Sunday needs to get rid of Terry Bradshaw. Dude is a senior citizen that needs to stay home and drink a warm glass of milk."

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In spite of the criticisms, there are those who stood up for Bradshaw, appreciating his attempt at humour. A comment defending him said, "Where have you ppl been? Did you just start watching the show today? He's been doing goofy things like this forever. Stop whining," while another supporter found the stint amusing: "I think that's hilarious. People need to lighten up."

Bradshaw's on-air jokes have long been a part of his charm among fans, which was evident during a humorous segment where the Fox team had Rob Gronkowski fooled with a gag about a non-existent tight end for the Dallas Cowboys following their 20-15 victory over the New York Giants last Tuesday.

However, some argue that Bradshaw's takes, particularly on current NFL players, are showing their age. This was highlighted by his comments on Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.

Discussing the Bears, Bradshaw quipped about Williams' choice to paint his fingernails, saying, "What if I'd have painted my fingernails in 1970, black on this side [right hand] and gold on this side [left hand]?"

This remark fell flat, prompting his co-hosts to quickly divert the topic. Sat next to Bradshaw were Howie Long and Michael Strahan, with Long pressing him to stop, commenting, "I was hoping you would just stop and not even think about that," while laughter came from Bradshaw.

Strahan then intervened, reminding "It's a new era."

Since joining Fox in 1994 and kickstarting his broadcast career with CBS a decade earlier, Bradshaw has made a name for himself in the industry, securing three Sports Emmy awards. His accolades place him alongside esteemed names like NBA commentator Mike Breen, NFL analyst Kirk Herbstreit, and former MLB player turned-commentator Harold Reynolds.