Report: Tom Brady, NFL have had settlement discussions

Tom Brady’s camp has reportedly had discussions with the NFL over a possible settlement with the New England Patriots quarterback’s four-game suspension.

Don’t expect that to mean a mutual resolution will be reached.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, settlement discussions have taken place but “no progress has been made.” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is reportedly being pressured by a handful of influential team owners to uphold the suspension, though there is some concern that Brady would win if he took the case to federal court.

Florio notes that Gregg Levy, an attorney who acted as a legal consultant for Goodell during Brady’s appeal, has told the commissioner that it would be difficult to imagine the four-game suspension sticking in federal court.

Brady is said to be seeking a full exoneration, and indications are that he believes he did nothing wrong. The potential concern for Brady and the Patriots in federal court would be that a judge would likely want to look at Brady’s cell phone communications — the same ones he refused to turn over to Ted Wells. If there is incriminating evidence on there, Brady would be outed as a cheater even if the suspension was ultimately overturned due to a lack of precedent.

Will Brinson of CBSSports.com envisions a scenario in which Brady has his suspension reduced to two games and files a temporary injunction to be able to play Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brady could then, in theory, settle with the NFL on a one-game suspension and drop his lawsuit before Week 3. He would then miss only one game, which would be a home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The most incriminating evidence from the Ted Wells report comes from these text messages. That is not going to be enough to warrant a four-game suspension in federal court.