Report: NFL never made formal settlement offer to Tom Brady
The NFL never made a formal settlement offer to Tom Brady during the Deflategate hearing, reports the New York Daily News’ Gary Myers.
Brady met with Roger Goodell and the NFL one final time in federal court Monday in search of a settlement for Brady's four-game suspension for his alleged role in deflating footballs before the New England Patriots’ AFC Championship Game appearance. Myers reports the NFL was willing to cut Brady's suspension to three games if he admitted culpability in deflating the balls.
Brady has reportedly told the NFL he would not accept a suspension of any length and will not admit guilt, and would only accept punishment for not fully cooperating in Ted Wells’s Deflategate investigation.
With no settlement reached, Judge Richard M. Berman is expected to either uphold or remove Brady's suspension entirely by Sept. 4. The NFL filed in Berman's court in July to confirm the suspension.
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Each side will be permitted to appeal Berman's decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The appeal would likely call for an expedited process, with the Patriots set to play in the NFL season opener on Sept. 10. -- Rohan Nadkarni
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