Goodell Stands Behind Brady Suspension In Interview With Ohio Newspaper
CANTON, Ohio (CBS) – NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has not spoken with reporters in recent weeks as the league finds itself in a legal battle with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
But on Friday, Goodell addressed the controversial DeflateGate suspension in an exclusive interview with an Ohio newspaper.
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Goodell told the Canton Repository that while the 38-year-old quarterback is a "great young man." But the commissioner added that the suspension was necessary because "the integrity of the game is the most important thing."
"The integrity of the game is something we will always protect. The rules apply to everybody," Goodell told The Repository. "That is my job in particular, to make sure everyone from our players to our coach, to our fans and our partners, that they all recognize we're going to play by these sets of rules, and that's part of our values and standards."
The interview took place inside the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, where former Patriot Junior Seau will be posthumously inducted on Saturday night.
According to a post by Ron Borges on the Talk of Fame Network, Goodell spent a "tense few minutes" in a room with Patriots owner Robert Kraft earlier in the weekend in Canton.
Kraft and Goodell previously had a close working relationship, but amid Brady's legal fight with the league, Kraft denounced his faith in the NFL earlier this summer.
Both Brady and Goodell are scheduled to appear in a Manhattan courtroom on Wednesday for a settlement conference.
