Tom Brady’s Appeal Set For June 23

Those hoping for closure on the DeflateGate saga will have to wait at least a few more weeks. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Tom Brady‘s appeal hearing won’t be held until Tuesday, June 23, and may continue on Thursday, June 25, if more than one day is required.

The appeal, which is still expected to be arbitrated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, will give Brady and the NFL Players Association a chance to argue that the quarterback’s four-game suspension should be eliminated, or at least reduced.

Goodell has indicated that he’d be open to hearing “new information” on the case from Brady, hinting that he still wants the Patriots quarterback to hand over the emails and text messages that he didn’t surrender to Ted Wells during the DeflateGate investigation.

If Goodell decides not to reduce Brady’s suspension – and perhaps even if he does – the NFLPA is likely to file a lawsuit to take the case to court. With previous recent suspensions, such as Ray Rice‘s and Adrian Peterson‘s, a judge has overruled the NFL’s ruling.

Pats owner Robert Kraft has stated that he won’t fight the Patriots’ DeflateGate penalties, including a $1MM fine and two lost draft picks, including a first-rounder. There has been plenty of chatter suggesting that Kraft’s decision might help result in a better outcome for Brady, but reports so far have indicated that no handshake deal is in place regarding the quarterback’s appeal.

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