The NFL, much like "Game of Thrones," has no chill. Even despite the new CBA's rules, which were put in place with the intent of creating an actual offseason for players, nothing has changed regarding the NFL as a year-round attraction. The NFL's free agency period was a gas, the draft (though many of the fireworks have already gone off) will surely provide a surprise or three of its own, and now, during the supposed dead period between the two, we have news fit for a Week 16 filled with playoff-implication games.
Josh Norman, determined to hit it big on what may be his only long-term NFL contract (dude is somehow already 28), pushed the Panthers to the brink, and then over. Less than 48 hours later Norman was signing a mammoth contract with Washington. Sam Bradford, incensed over the Eagles' decision to trade up in the 2016 NFL Draft for a quarterback despite his eye-opening 2015 statline which included 19 touchdowns, 14 completions and 6 fumbles in 14 games, has reportedly requested a trade.
And now, the New England Patriots and their legions of faithful fans received the worst news an offseason Monday could offer - All-World quarterback and future first-ballot Hall of Famer Tom Brady's four-game suspension, handed to him by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in the wake of the Deflategate scandal and the findings of the Wells Report, has been reinstated.
You can read the three-judge panel's ruling in full here, or you can take our word for it that Brady was indeed re-slapped with a four-game suspension to start the 2016 NFL season.
"We hold that the Commissioner properly exercised his broad discretion under the collective bargaining agreement and that his procedural rulings were properly grounded in that agreement and did not deprive Brady of fundamental fairness," the judges argued. "Accordingly, we REVERSE the judgment of the district court and REMAND with instructions to confirm the award."
The NFL issued a statement of its own shortly thereafter, saying that it was "pleased" with the outcome.
When Brady's reps and the NFL met again in a Manhattan courtroom last month, early reports suggested that the tone of the proceedings had shifted from where they'd ultimately landed under U.S. District Court Judge Richard S. Berman.
While Berman cited issues like the lack of notice given to Brady by the league regarding punishment for something of this nature and the NFL's refusal to provide access to its investigative files or chief counsel Jeff Pash for questioning in his argument for nullifying Brady's suspension, the three-judge panel of Chief Judge Robert A. Katzmann and District Judges Denny Chin and Barrington D. Parker seemed to instead hone in on Brady's cellphone, the destruction of which left a hole in initial evidence collection.
Chin even went so far as to call Brady's explanation for destroying it "ridiculous."
The judges also, time and again, pointed to the CBA and the attempts by Brady's reps to argue that it did not constitute a fair procedural process for Brady. The panel essentially said that if Brady and his reps did not agree with the power given to Goodell, they should not have agreed to the CBA in the first place.
With the decision Monday, Brady will now most likely miss the first four games of the 2016 NFL season. He does have options to continue his fight against the league, including a stay/injunction while he seeks either a re-hearing before the full Second Circuit court or an appeal to the Supreme Court - yep, you read that right - but the panel did what it could to cut off Brady's further legal recourse, essentially blocking Berman from overturning the suspension again (Monday was a tough day for Berman, as well as Brady).
If Brady decides to forego another protracted legal battle, he'll miss games against Arizona, Miami, Houston and Buffalo.
Jimmy Garoppolo, who in his career has appeared in 11 NFL games, tossing 20 completions for 188 yards and one touchdown, would take the reins of the Patriot offense for those four weeks.
