The NFL-viewing world waits with baited breath for commissioner Roger Goodell's ruling in the appeal case set forth by the NFLPA on behalf of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Brady, of course, was handed a four-game ban in the wake of the Deflategate scandal and the revelatory findings of the Wells Report.
While any outcome - upholding the suspension, a partial reduction, complete exoneration - seems possible at this point, a recent report from ESPN suggests that Brady and the union have at the very least considered the option of a settlement, something the league and Goodell apparently have no interest in.
"The NFL Players Association extended a settlement offer to the NFL last week regarding Tom Brady's suspension for his role in Deflategate, a source told ESPN.com's Dan Graziano."
"The offer, however, was met with 'silence' by the NFL, the source said."
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported late Wednesday that settlement talks between the two sides had actually already occurred but that, to date, "no progress" had been made toward a deal.
An interesting nugget in the Florio article seemed to draw the most attention - it seems a group of "influential" owners is pressuring Goodell to uphold the four-game ban for Brady. Of course, considering Brady has already made clear that he's willing to fight any suspension in federal court - something ESPN references in its article - there seems to be a fear for the league that upholding the suspension would just lead to a protracted legal battle and the, potentially very likely, chance that the ban will be vacated by a federal judge.
Goodell served as the arbitrator in Brady's appeal, which took place one month ago on June 23 in New York City. At the time, Brady's attorney Jeffrey Kessler made it clear that he believed Brady's defense team had "put in a very compelling case."
Despite the ample amount of time Goodell has already taken to mull Brady's appeal, the embattled commissioner indicated recently that there is no timetable for a decision.
