Earlier in the day, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was willing to take on a one-game suspension for "lack of cooperation" as part of a settlement agreement to put DeflateGate in the past.
According to the Boston Herald's Jeff Howe, this is now incorrect.
"Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has no plans to break," Howe writes. "Brady is not preparing to accept a suspension as part of a settlement with the NFL, according to a source who refuted any reports suggesting otherwise."
This isn't to say that Schefter's initial report was incorrect. It's very likely that the NFL Players Association offered some deal that included a suspension during settlement negotiation, and that's what Schefter was reporting.
Additionally, it's very likely that Schefter's source came from within Brady's camp because it portrays the NFLPA as willing to negotiate, while the NFL is sticking to their "all four games and accept the report findings!" line in the sand.
Judge Richard Berman absolutely leveled the NFL at today's hearing, and it's likely his attitude is related to NFL's unwillingness to negotiate. It's quite possible that if the NFLPA didn't at least bring an offer to the table, Berman could have turned the tables on Brady.
By putting pressure on the NFL in public, Judge Berman is tipping his hand a little to entice the NFL to come to the table. It could be an issue where he went over-the-top and now the NFLPA won't feel willing to negotiate. Or, in an entirely different case, Judge Berman could have just been playing straight when he told the NFL that arbitration cases have been overturned for less bias than what the NFL's shown.
The next settlement discussion in on August 31st. Let's see if anything comes of it.