New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady spent this past Wednesday in a Manhattan court room as the fight over his four-game Deflategate suspension between himself and the NFLPA and Roger Goodell and the NFL rages. While Brady being forced to spend time he would usually put to good use preparing for the season instead spent worrying over a potential settlement presumably means Pats head coach Bill Belichick will hold Brady out for New England's preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night, recent reports indicate that may not be the case. as he may very well suit up against the Pack, according to several NFL and Pats reporters.
"Plans Wednesday were that Tom Brady wouldn't play tonight, barring late change. Things could indeed be changing. No final decision made yet," ESPN's Mike Reiss tweeted.
Reiss added shortly thereafter that despite the distraction of his suspension, Brady feels he's "developed a good rhythm in training camp" and that continuing that development with live game reps could help with his and the New England offense's momentum.
"As of about an hour ago, there still hasn't been a clear indication whether or not Tom Brady will play tonight. Possible game-time decision," Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald added.
While it's not vitally important that Brady suit up against the Pack - and really, it could be good for potential starter Jimmy Garoppolo to get his feet wet right away, especially if he's to man the top spot while Brady serves a ban - it's always best to give the starting 11 as many chances to work together as possible.
