New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady arrives for his appeal hearing at NFL headquarters in New York, Tuesday, June 23, 2015. Brady and representatives from the players’ union are meeting with Commissioner Roger Goodell as the New England quarterback appeals his four-game suspension. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
The NFL Players Association extended a settlement offer to the NFL last week regarding Tom Brady‘s suspension for his alleged role in Deflategate, a source told ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano.
The offer, however, was met with “silence” by the NFL, the source said.
It is believed that Brady is holding firm on his refusal to accept any suspension, though he would consider accepting a fine. If the NFL upholds any part of his suspension, he is expected to go to federal court to fight the decision.
Brady appealed his four-game ban June 23 in New York City, with commissioner Roger Goodell serving as arbitrator. It remains to be seen when the NFL will rule on that appeal.
Any delay in the announcement is rooted not in whether Goodell has made up his mind, but in the belief that Brady will challenge the issue in court, and that the NFL’s decision must be designed, vetted and written to withstand that challenge, sources told Graziano.
At issue in any court challenge would be the question of whether the NFL followed its own policies, whether Goodell was impartial as the appeals officer, and whether the punishment was arbitrary. Lawyers also could argue that the NFL did not have accurate information when it suspended the starNew England Patriots quarterback.
If Brady does appeal the NFL’s decision, the NFLPA, on behalf of the quarterback, likely would go to court first and seek an injunction to delay his suspension until a final decision is reached. If an injunction is granted — it takes a day or two to get an injunction — Brady would be allowed to play while the case works its way through the courts. If one isn’t granted, the NFLPA can appeal it to a higher federal court.
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SOURCE: ESPN
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