Fans of the New England Patriots hoping for a quick slap on the wrists for the team and quarterback Tom Brady in the wake of the DeflateGate scandal and the findings of the Wells Report might be about to be sorely disappointed.
A report from Mike Giardi of CSN New England reveals that, while no one is yet sure what punishment Brady will face for his alleged involvement in the deflation of footballs used during the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts, there is concern inside the Pats building that the suspension Brady is likely to face will ultimately be much lengthier than initially thought.
"Sources with the Patriots I have spoken with tell me they are fearful of a lengthy suspension, perhaps in the six- to eight-game range, for Brady in the aftermath of the Wells Report," writes Giardi.
Of course, as Giardi notes, any suspension can be appealed and it's likely that Brady and New England would be able to get such a lengthy suspension reduced via the NFL's appeal process, but it's still jarring to read that the league may be considering such heavy-handed discipline for a future Hall of Famer.
It would be a huge blow to the Patriots prospects for repeating as playoff participants next season should Giardi's report prove accurate.