Brady Reportedly Gives NFLPA OK To Move Forward With DeflateGate Appeal
BOSTON (CBS) -- You didn't think DeflateGate was really over, did you?
Tom Brady may have given up his fight, a move he announced on his Facebook page on Friday, but the Patriots quarterback has reportedly given the NFLPA his approval to proceed with the appeal on his behalf.
According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio (playing Peter King's backup on the MMQB), Brady authorized the NFLPA to appeal Roger Goodell's punishment on his behalf. Florio noted that there would not be any kind of appeal if Brady truly wanted the saga to end:
The appeal can't go forward without Brady; if Brady truly wants it to be over, there will be no further appeal. The reality is that Brady has (per a source with knowledge of the situation) authorized the NFLPA to proceed with the appeal on his behalf. It won't keep him from missing the first four games of the season, but it could ultimately restore his lost pay of more than $253,000, reduce the Commissioner's power in player disciplinary cases, and provide Brady with genuine vindication.
Shortly after Brady made his Facebook post on Friday, the NFLPA released a statement which said his decision was largely made to remove the uncertainty for the quarterback and the Patriots in the 2016 season. The union also said that it would continue to pursue the case.
"After careful consideration and discussion with Tom Brady, the NFLPA will not be seeking a stay of the four game suspension with the 2nd Circuit," the NFLPA statement said. "This decision was made in the interest of certainty and planning for Tom prior to the New England Patriots season. We will continue to review all of our options and we reserve our rights to petition for cert to the Supreme Court."
Brady will have to sit out for the first quarter of the 2016 season, but no, DeflateGate isn't quite over just yet.
