NFL to allow Patriots to reinstate locker room attendants at center of Deflategate - but there's a catch
As the Globe reports, the two men will be reinstated without further punishment at some point later this week.
However, there is a catch. As stipulated in the original suspension, the pair will first meet with Vincent to discuss new roles, as neither will be allowed to have a role in pregame preparations of footballs. McNally will reportedly no longer serve as the official's locker room attendant at Gillette Stadium, too.
Jastremski and McNally were suspended in May as part of the NFL's punishment that also included a $1 million fine, lost draft picks, and Tom Brady's 4-game suspension that has since been overturned.
Suspicious text messages between the Jastremski and McNally - including ones referring to "The Deflator" - became a centerpiece of the Wells Report.
In the aftermath of Judge Berman's decision to overturn Brady's suspension, many questioned whether the NFL or the Patriots organization had first suspended the two men. The Patriots insisted that the NFL suspended them, which would explain why the NFL originally stipulated that NFL VP of Football Operations Troy Vincent first agree to reinstatement before the two men returned to the team. The NFL, however, said in a statement that the Patriots independently sups ended the two men, which many interpreted as an admission of guilt.