New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady still awaits a ruling on the appeal of his four-game suspension handed down by the NFL in the wake of the Deflategate scandal and the findings of the Wells Report. Options abound for Brady in terms of legal recourse should commissioner Roger Goodell determine that Brady did not provide sufficient evidence to see his suspension overturned and it seems he may need to begin preparing the necessary paperwork for filing an injunction in federal court as the league is almost certain to uphold Brady's suspension, according to a report from Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.
Cole cites an NFL source who indicates that Goodell and the rest of the league's decision-makers feel that some suspension must stick for Brady. Per Cole, the league believes it needs to uphold Brady's suspension in order to ensure that the issues of fair play and gamesmanship, which are seemingly at the heart of the Deflategate scandal, are taken seriously. The league is reportedly also concerned over potential fan backlash if Brady is given a get out of jail free card.
Of course, in response, the NFLPA and Brady are likely to file a lawsuit and fight any suspension for Brady, who watched last week as Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy had his own 10-game suspension reduced to just four contests, the same amount of games the league dinged the Patriots quarterback. It was reported then that Brady was willing to take the NFL to court over any suspension whatsoever. If the league, as Cole reports, really is hell-bent on seeing that at least some portion of Brady's initial four-game ban sticks, it seems a certainty that this matter will ultimately be resolved in the courts.
Then again, Brady is notorious for disliking distractions as he enters the season - because of this he's never entered an NFL season in a contract year - so it's unknown how long he'll allow this situation to fester.
