It...it’s over?
As New England Patriots QB Tom Brady sets up for his return to the field this week, Brady and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) have finally walked away from the DeflateGate legal proceedings.
After consultation with Tom Brady and our appellate counsel, we have decided to not pursue additional appeals in this matter.
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) October 3, 2016
Brady and the NFLPA had until mid-October to make a decision of whether or not they should continue to appeal to the Supreme Court. The odds of them receiving a hearing, never mind a favorable ruling, were almost non-existent. It wasn’t worth the financial resources, or the risk of setting an even more dangerous precedence for future collective bargaining agreements.
Brady has served his four-game suspension in what will be remembered as the most notable in a series of black marks against NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, including his mishandling of Ray Rice and other domestic violence issues, and the denial of the severity of head injuries,
The last time DeflateGate should ever be uttered is in the 2017 NFL Draft where the Patriots will lose the earliest of their 4th round picks- the Patriots also own the Seahawks 4th round pick.