The New England Patriots have until Friday to file an appeal of the sanctions the NFL handed down as a result of Deflategate, which consist of a $1 million fine and the loss of a first-round and a fourth-round draft pick. One report claims the Patriots are working with the league on a potential resolution.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Patriots and the NFL have been having “back-channel conversations” to see if they can come to an agreement on punishment before the appeal process or possible litigation. As we know, the NFL stated that the team’s lack of full cooperation in addition to its role with the Spygate scandal in 2007 contributed to the penalties.
Of course, Tom Brady has already filed a formal appeal of his four-game suspension. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk speculates the negotiations between the Patriots and the NFL could involved a “wink-nod understanding” that Brady’s suspension will be reduced when the appeal is heard. Of course, the league would also want assurance that Brady will not take legal action after the appeal.
Robert Kraft told Peter King of The MMQB over the weekend that he could not comment on whether the team was planning to take the league to court over the penalties.
While a compromise between the NFL and the Patriots might help everyone move past what has become an embarrassing mess, it’s hard to imagine it being a great solution for either side. Agreeing to reduce the penalties would come across as the NFL admitting that Ted Wells — who was hired by the league — had holes in his investigation. And accepting any suspension at all for Brady would force the Patriots to drop the “we did absolutely nothing wrong” narrative.
After hearing what Brady told Kraft about Deflategate, our gut tells us Brady will continue to fight to have his suspension completely overturned.
