Tom Brady is willing to accept 'some form of punishment' for Deflategate but there is a catch
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports Brady is only willing to accept punishment for not participating in the investigation into Deflategate. He does not want to accept punishment for being involved in deflating footballs.
Up until now, any settlement seemed unlikely as Brady was not willing to accept a punishment that suggested he did something wrong and the NFL was not willing to reduce the punishment too far out of fear for the precedent that would be set and how it could lead to more league penalties ending up in court.
"Tom Brady is open to accepting some form of suspension," Shefter wrote on his Facebook page. "But only if it can be for failing to cooperate with the NFL rather than admitting to the Wells' Report findings, per league sources. The NFL has been adamant that Brady admits to the report's findings, something he doesn't seem willing to ever do. With that in mind, settlement discussions have gone 'nowhere,' according to sources, and the two sides are back in court today."
As Schefter indicates, there is no suggestion that the NFL is willing to accept this concession from Brady, but if there is to be a settlement, this appears to be the path the NFL must go down. If not, this case could drag on into the season.