diff --git a/pandas/core/dtypes/cast.py b/pandas/core/dtypes/cast.py
index fe40bc42887c4..27c5527536057 100644
--- a/pandas/core/dtypes/cast.py
+++ b/pandas/core/dtypes/cast.py
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@
     from pandas import Series
     from pandas.core.arrays import ExtensionArray
     from pandas.core.indexes.base import Index
-    from pandas.core.indexes.datetimes import DatetimeIndex
 
 _int8_max = np.iinfo(np.int8).max
 _int16_max = np.iinfo(np.int16).max
@@ -1121,57 +1120,6 @@ def astype_nansafe(
     return arr.view(dtype)
 
 
-def maybe_convert_objects(
-    values: np.ndarray, convert_numeric: bool = True
-) -> Union[np.ndarray, "DatetimeIndex"]:
-    """
-    If we have an object dtype array, try to coerce dates and/or numbers.
-
-    Parameters
-    ----------
-    values : ndarray
-    convert_numeric : bool, default True
-
-    Returns
-    -------
-    ndarray or DatetimeIndex
-    """
-    validate_bool_kwarg(convert_numeric, "convert_numeric")
-
-    orig_values = values
-
-    # convert dates
-    if is_object_dtype(values.dtype):
-        values = lib.maybe_convert_objects(values, convert_datetime=True)
-
-    # convert timedeltas
-    if is_object_dtype(values.dtype):
-        values = lib.maybe_convert_objects(values, convert_timedelta=True)
-
-    # convert to numeric
-    if is_object_dtype(values.dtype):
-        if convert_numeric:
-            try:
-                new_values = lib.maybe_convert_numeric(
-                    values, set(), coerce_numeric=True
-                )
-            except (ValueError, TypeError):
-                pass
-            else:
-                # if we are all nans then leave me alone
-                if not isna(new_values).all():
-                    values = new_values
-
-        else:
-            # soft-conversion
-            values = lib.maybe_convert_objects(values)
-
-    if values is orig_values:
-        values = values.copy()
-
-    return values
-
-
 def soft_convert_objects(
     values: np.ndarray,
     datetime: bool = True,
diff --git a/pandas/core/groupby/generic.py b/pandas/core/groupby/generic.py
index 244c47cd1f1ea..b9226732d5a69 100644
--- a/pandas/core/groupby/generic.py
+++ b/pandas/core/groupby/generic.py
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@
     find_common_type,
     maybe_cast_result,
     maybe_cast_result_dtype,
-    maybe_convert_objects,
     maybe_downcast_numeric,
 )
 from pandas.core.dtypes.common import (
@@ -1867,8 +1866,9 @@ def _recast_datetimelike_result(result: DataFrame) -> DataFrame:
 
     # See GH#26285
     for n in obj_cols:
-        converted = maybe_convert_objects(
-            result.iloc[:, n].values, convert_numeric=False
+        values = result.iloc[:, n].values
+        converted = lib.maybe_convert_objects(
+            values, convert_datetime=True, convert_timedelta=True
         )
 
         result.iloc[:, n] = converted
diff --git a/pandas/tests/dtypes/cast/test_convert_objects.py b/pandas/tests/dtypes/cast/test_convert_objects.py
deleted file mode 100644
index a28d554acd312..0000000000000
--- a/pandas/tests/dtypes/cast/test_convert_objects.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-import numpy as np
-import pytest
-
-from pandas.core.dtypes.cast import maybe_convert_objects
-
-
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("data", [[1, 2], ["apply", "banana"]])
-def test_maybe_convert_objects_copy(data):
-    arr = np.array(data)
-    out = maybe_convert_objects(arr)
-
-    assert arr is not out