Larry King appears to have loosened Adam Schefter’s grip on NFL breaking news, if only for a sequence on Saturday night.
The longtime broadcaster spoke with Robert Kraft, and the Patriots’ owner evidently revealed (Twitter link) he hoped by relenting on a potential battle with the NFL over the Pats’ Deflategate penalties that he helped Tom Brady in his own fight in a potential goodwill gesture.
If Kraft’s line of thinking is correct, perhaps lessening some of the animosity between the Patriots and commissioner Roger Goodell will influence the commissioner to consider some of the arguments put forth by Brady’s legal team in the embattled quarterback’s upcoming appeal. Or, in a more backroom-politics-style bargain, Kraft has some kind of assurance this action will induce a lessening of Brady’s ban.
Brady still faces a four-game ban. While that’s up in the air, the Patriots’ loss of a 2016 first-round pick and 2017 fourth-rounder is certain.