Drew Bledsoe: Patriots' 'DeflateGate' Controversy 'Seems Kind Of Silly'

Drew Bledsoe, like many other former NFL quarterbacks, has an opinion on “DeflateGate.”

Bledsoe, who played for the New England Patriots from 1993 to 2001, isn’t sure whether his former team intentionally deflated footballs for Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts or engaged in any wrongdoing. But Bledsoe — Tom Brady’s predecessor — doesn’t view the situation as a big deal, regardless of the Patriots’ actions.

“This story seems kind of silly to me,” Bledsoe said Wednesday on WEEI’s “Dale & Holley.” “Did they actually deflate some footballs? I don’t know. Maybe. Does it really affect the game? I don’t think it does. It’s one of those stories that if they did it, they probably shouldn’t have. Is it an offense that changes the outcome of a game, or dealt with in some serious matter? I don’t really think so.”

Bledsoe’s comments reflect a common point of view. Colts tight end Dwayne Allen said Wednesday that the Patriots would have won Sunday’s AFC Championship even if they used soap for balls. Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck insisted the story is being “blown out of proportion.” It’s clear the NFL faces a tricky situation, though. The league must determine how to punish the Patriots.

The NFL ultimately could respond with just a slap on the wrist. There are some, however, who feel the consequences should be severe. One columnist even suggested that New England should be forced to vacate its spot in Super Bowl XLIX and that the league would be well within its rights to consider banning Patriots head coach Bill Belichick for life.

Bledsoe clearly doesn’t agree.

“There was a time when I was playing that the referees would just show up with the balls and you kind of got what you got,” Bledsoe said. “That was rough because they didn’t get them broken in properly and all of that. Personally, I always wanted the balls more inflated than less inflated — I felt like I could control it better. If it is a story that they broke the rules, if they did, they should probably be punished. Is it something that is a super serious offense? I don’t think so.”

Bledsoe also suggested the Patriots are a target because of their success in recent years.