It now appears to be a near certainty that the New England Patriots will open the season without Tom Brady at quarterback, but the latest development in the Deflategate case did not blindside Las Vegas bookmakers. Brady was asking for the full 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to hear the case.
Advertisement
ESPN sources close to Brady’s legal team told ESPN’s Mike Reiss on Wednesday that the denied appeal was the expected result and that no final decision has been made concerning the next step.
Brady can still appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, but it accepts to review only a small fraction of cases it considers. “We have a broken system that must be fixed”, a statement released by the NFLPA said.
Since the 2 U.S. Supreme Court of Appeals has denied Brady’s request for a rehearing, his only option now is to take the case to the Supreme Court.
If he misses four games, Brady will lose just under $250,000 in salary after renegotiating his contract in the offseason to earn only $1 million this season.
Meanwhile, it’s up to the Patriots to figure out the best approach to opening the season at formidable Arizona before a homestand against Miami, Houston and Buffalo. Still, if the Patriots can manage to go at least 2-2 in games against the Cardinals, Dolphins, Texans, and Bills, they will have a great chance to win the AFC East again when Brady comes back from suspension.
Brady would be eligible to return in Week 5 on October 9 against the Cleveland Browns. Last season alone, the 26-year-old managed a mere three total tackles and no sacks against the Patriots.
The overwhelming thought persisting throughout the league among the players has been that commissioner Goodell has too much power and abuses it whenever he sees fit.
The NFLPA seemed to put a dent in Goodell’s authority in player-disciplinary cases with a string of victories fighting league sanctions in cases involving Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, Greg Hardy and Brady. It’s less likely to appeal to the highest court in the country. The court refused to disturb its April 25 judgment upholding the validity (not to be confused with correctness) of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s arbitration decision.
“The NFL Players Association is a labor Union that protects the rights of all of its members and pursues any violations of those rights by any means necessary”. But legal experts have said it is extremely unlikely the Supreme Court would agree to hear the case.
Advertisement
The Patriots report for training camp in two weeks, and a suspended player is allowed to practice with the team during camp and participate in preseason games.
