Ravens owner: I'm not pressuring NFL over Brady
Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti released a statement Sunday saying that he is not pressuring Roger Goodell to keep in place New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's 4-game suspension over the "Delflategate" scandal.
Brady was suspended for his role in using underinflated footballs in the Patriots' victory over the Colts in the AFC title game. A league-sanctioned independent report by attorney Ted Wells found that Brady at the least was "generally aware" of the use of the footballs in what has become known as "Deflategate."
Brady has adamantly denied any involvement, and both he and the players' union have filed an appeal of the suspension. Should Goodell uphold the four-game suspension - or even reduce it - Brady is expected to go to court.
CBSSports.com's Sean Wagner-McGough reports that Pro Football Talk claimed last week a "small handful of influential owners" wanted Brady's suspension to stay put at four games. Then, ESPN's Sal Paolantonio reported that those owners included Bisciotti and Colts owner Jim Irsay.
Here's Bisciotti's statement in its entirety:
"I have not and will not put any pressure on the Commissioner or anyone representing the NFL office to take action in what everyone is calling 'Deflategate.'
"The story circulating that I have put pressure on Roger (Goodell) is 100% wrong. The reports are unfair to Robert Kraft, who is an honorable person, and to his franchise.
"Let's talk about football and the start of training camps. Fans and people like me want the issue resolved now."
If Brady's suspension is upheld, he'll miss games against the Steelers, Bills, Jaguars and Cowboys. Last week, Goodell said there was "no timeline" regarding when a decision will be made, but with training camp arriving, Goodell is going to need to make his decision in the near future.