Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will drop his appeal and serve his 4-game suspension, taking the air out of one of the more buoyant NFL controversies in recent memory. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Brady over the so-called Deflate-gate scandal. Brady fought back and won a reprieve. (Brady’s lawyers have a very good record against the NFL, dating back to 2012.) Then in the ping-pong legal battle, 2nd US Court of Appeals affirmed that Roger Goodell and the NFL had every right to suspend Brady under the existing CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement).
After being unable to get the 2nd Circuit Court to reconsider, next stop for Brady to avoid the suspension was a trip the Supreme Court — if SCOTUS would hear the case. The 4-time Super Bowl champion has decided to accept an enforced 4-game absence rather than continue the fight. (No word on whether Gronk appoves.) Brady made the announcement on Facebook (see below), saying it has been a “challenging 18 months.” Goodell has lost more than once to Brady and his aggressive law firm, Winston & Strawn. In winning this round, Roger Goodell made no comment on social media.
