The road has been long and winding where New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's NFL-mandated suspension is concerned and yet, seemingly, little has actually happened. Reports and rumors have emerged regarding Brady's appeal of his four-game span on an almost daily basis in the weeks since he spent 10 hours defending himself in the NFL's Park Avenue offices in New York City. And yet here we sit, less than three days before the start of Patriots training camp and no nearer to a resolution than we have been at any point since Brady's appeal was filed. While a recent report suggested that potential back channel negotiations initiated by Brady and the NFLPA, specifically in the form of settlement talks, were "ignored" by Goodell and the league, a more recent report from Fox Sports suggests the two sides have been actively engaged of late.
"Sources have told FOX Sports the NFL Players Association and the NFL have had an open line of communication in recent days regarding a potential settlement of Brady's four-game ban for his alleged role in the Deflategate scandal."
Both sides would likely prefer to avoid a lawsuit, but it all depends on what Goodell's final ruling will be and what Brady will accept. A reduced suspension has been floated as a possibility, with the league reportedly assuming that Brady will take such a deal, serve his time and return to the field as-soon-as possible. The NFLPA reportedly offered to have Brady pay a fine instead of having him miss actual game time, to which the league responded with a resounding, "no."
In the end, many options remain, though a reduced suspension seems the likeliest outcome at this point. The most interesting aspect of this whole situation, though, may be the revelation that Brady is becoming "frustrated with the lack of a decision from Goodell," according to the Fox Sports report. It's not really surprising that Brady is losing his patience - it's been 190 days since the AFC Championship Game that spawned the entire Deflategate scandal, meaning the notoriously singularly focused future Hall of Famer has had this entire situation hanging over his head for quite some time now.
It looks like on the eve of New England training camp that's about to change, though in what regard, we don't yet know. But it has to be promising for Patriots fans that the league and the NFLPA are apparently talking and both considering coming to terms on some type of compromise.
