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Tom Brady wants players to 'stand together' in CBA negotiations

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady says NFL players must 'stand together' in collective bargaining agreement talks.
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New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady says that NFL players must stand up and come together while negotiating for a new collective bargaining agreement.

The current CBA ends at the end of the 2020 season after being ratified in 2011 following contentious negotiations leading to a player lockout.

"I actually think it's a great opportunity for the players to come together and the players to recognize all the things we have negotiated, and as we negotiate hopefully a CBA extension, that we as players come together to really stand up for the things we believe in and continue to fight just as the players who fought before us," Brady said on Westwood One Radio.

Brady was asked about his thoughts on the current CBA and whether he was upset about losing certain rights during the negotiations.

"I have great respect for the guys that fought to stand up for the rights of the players, just as myself and certain players did in 2011," he said. "I know there will need to be great leadership from the players moving forward. It definitely is a business."

Brady said he thinks the system "can always be improved, not just for my situation, because my situation is obviously in the past."

Brady is suspended for the first four games of the season for his role in Deflategate, after the league determined he had knowledge of the Patriots using deflated footballs in the 2014 AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts.

"But for everybody's situation in the future, I think we as players need to stand together, so collectively we can be as strong as possible, and the NFL can continue to thrive and be the great game it is," Brady said.

- Scooby Axson