Tom Brady

Tom Brady Suffers Thumb Injury

August 18th, 2016 at 8:23pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Quarterback Tom Brady was supposed to start the Patriots’ preseason game against the Bears on Thursday, but the 39-year-old ended up leaving Gillette Stadium beforehand. It turns out Brady sliced his right thumb with a pair of scissors prior to the game, reports Tom Curran of CSNNE.com.

It’s unknown whether Brady needed stitches, per Curran, and there’s no timetable for his return. Via text, agent Don Yee informed reporters – including Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link) – that Brady “will be okay in time.” That’s a vague statement from Yee, whose client is already set to miss the first four games of the regular season as a result of a suspension for his role in the Deflategate scandal.

Brady’s temporary replacement, third-year man Jimmy Garoppolo, got the start and finished the first half 12 of 16 for 123 yards and a touchdown. He went 11 of 18 for 168 yards in the Patriots’ preseason opener against the Saints last week.

Brady also didn’t face New Orleans, and in the event he misses New England’s remaining two exhibition contests, it would mean a wide gap in game action for the four-time Super Bowl champion. Brady last took the field against another team Jan. 24, when the Pats lost the AFC title game in Denver, and his debut this year is set for Oct. 9 versus the Browns. In the meantime, he’ll sit out regular-season matchups against the Cardinals, Dolphins, Texans and Bills.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

QB Notes: Patriots, 49ers, Jets

August 12th, 2016 at 7:01pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

In an interview with the Patriots Radio Network on Thursday, team president Jonathan Kraft exalted Tom Brady and expressed frustration over the quarterback’s season-opening four-game suspension for his role in the Deflategate scandal.

Of Brady, who has won four Super Bowls with the Patriots, Kraft said (via Ryan Hannable of WEEI), “From our perspective, he’s the type of professional athlete that you want to celebrate, hold up as an example, not only to other players in the league but hold up to kids that are playing the game, and just as somebody you want to model your life off of, not only as a professional athlete but how he is as a father to his children, a husband, a son to his parents, a brother to his sisters. He is as good of a human being as you can get.”

After praising Brady, Kraft took aim at the NFL, stating that the league’s treatment of the 39-year-old “eats at” the Patriots organization. “And there’s still a tremendous amount of, there’s frustration around how the pure facts of science and lack of any type of tangible, hard evidence that certain people can look at those circumstances and then try to taint him or his legacy without that type of evidence,” he continued.

A few items on Brady’s fellow quarterbacks:

Colin Kaepernick is vying for the 49ers’ starting job, but shoulder tightness is currently preventing the sixth-year man from competing with Blaine Gabbert, as Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group writes. It’s important to note that Kaepernick’s right shoulder – not the left shoulder that required November surgery – is the one bothering him. The 28-year-old is “not too concerned about” the issue, he said Friday, and classified it as “just tightness.” Nevertheless, Kaepernick’s inability to garner first-team reps isn’t helping his cause in a battle that Gabbert looks primed to win, according to Inman.
Despite going in the second round of this year’s draft, Christian Hackenberg was unable to get into the Jets’ preseason opener against Jacksonville on Thursday. Head coach Todd Bowles offered an explanation afterward, telling reporters (including Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday), “We wanted to take a look at Geno (Smith) and Bryce (Petty). And to play Hackenberg with minimal reps in practice would be doing him a disservice to play him with minimal reps in a game.” Bowles went on to state that it “remains to be seen” whether the former Penn State signal-caller will appear in either of the Jets’ next two preseason games. “It’s not like we’re forced to play him right now,” added Bowles, whose club has two veteran options in starter Ryan Fitzpatrick and Smith, a fourth-year man. Petty was a fourth-rounder last year who hasn’t yet appeared in a game.
If any Jets quarterback is in jeopardy of the team handing him a pink slip this summer, it’s likely Petty. But Tara Sullivan of USA Today opines that New York should take the rare route of keeping four passers. Indeed, with Fitzpatrick and Hackenberg not going anywhere, Smith possessing substantial experience, and the Jets having made a somewhat significant investment in Petty just over 15 months ago, they do look like strong candidates to employ a quarterback quartet.
In the biggest QB-related news of Friday, the Bills inked starter Tyrod Taylor to an extension.

Tom Brady Authorized NFLPA To Continue Fight

July 18th, 2016 at 11:00am CST by Zachary Links

Last week, after the Second Circuit denied his request for a rehearing, Tom Brady announced that he would not pursue his case any further and would accept his four-game suspension from the NFL. Soon after, the NFLPA released a statement explaining that they could still petition the Supreme Court to hear the case, even though Brady had elected against taking that step himself. As it turns out, that’s only half right.

In actuality, Brady has authorized the NFLPA to proceed with the appeal on his behalf, sources tell Mike Florio, who penned a guest column for The MMQB today. Without Brady’s OK, the NFLPA would not have the option of continuing the legal battle.

If the NFLPA does take Brady’s case to the SCOTUS, they probably won’t be able to keep Brady from missing the first four games of the 2016 season. However, a successful appeal could restore Brady’s lost pay (~$253K) and reduce the Commissioner’s power in future disciplinary cases. None of this is possible without a greenlight from Brady, however.

The four-game suspension means that Brady won’t be eligible to return to regular season action until Sunday, October 9th against the Browns. The Patriots will be without their No. 1 QB for games against the Cardinals, Dolphins, Texans, and Bills, leaving understudy Jimmy Garoppolo in the starting role for the first month.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Notes: Broncos, Colts, Titans, Brady

July 16th, 2016 at 12:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Following news of Von Miller‘s record-breaking extension with the Broncos, we’ve started hearing reactions from several of the player’s teammates.

Cornerback Chris Harris appeared on NFL Network earlier this week, and the veteran said he believed Miller’s threats of holding out.

“I believe him,” he said (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post). “You’ve got to take his word for it. It would be hard for me to sit out, missing out on $14 million, but I think Von is serious in what he’s saying. I think he truly, this whole time just talking to him, he hates the franchise tag. I definitely think he won’t sign it.”

Meanwhile, offseason addition Mark Sanchez stated his excitement for Miller’s return

“Happy the deal was done in time for camp,” the quarterback said. “I knew both sides had the same goal and now we can start camp with the whole squad.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the AFC…

Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com says safety Mike Adams‘ two-year, $4.3MM contract (with $1.2MM guaranteed) is the best on the Colts. Meanwhile, tight end Dwayne Allen was said to have the team’s worst contract at four years and $29.4MM (with $11.5MM guaranteed).
After Delanie Walker, Craig Stevens, and Anthony Fasano, the Titans could keep up to two additional tight ends, writes Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. Phillip Supernaw is currently slotted as the team’s fourth tight end, but Wyatt notes that the team will be eyeing the waiver wire for reinforcement.
Meanwhile, Wyatt doesn’t envision undrafted kicker Aldrick Rosas unseating starter Ryan Succop.
When it comes to the ‘Deflategate’ fiasco, Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe writes that “the Patriots dug their own grave by behaving like a guilty party from the jump.” The writer notes the hypocrisy of owner Robert Kraft, who initially touted Roger Goodell as commissioner. Quarterback Tom Brady announced yesterday that he wouldn’t be appealing his four-game suspension.

Tom Brady To Drop Deflategate Appeal

July 15th, 2016 at 8:32pm CST by Zachary Links

12:22pm: Brady is done fighting the suspension, but the NFLPA might not be ready to throw in the towel:

“After careful consideration and discussion with Tom Brady, the NFLPA will not be seeking a stay of the four game suspension with the 2nd Circuit. This decision was made in the interest of certainty and planning for Tom prior to the New England Patriots season. We will continue to review all of our options and we reserve our rights to petition for cert to the Supreme Court,” the union said in a statement.

11:57am: Tom Brady announced that he will no longer pursue an appeal of his suspension via the court system (Facebook link):

“I’m very grateful for the overwhelming support I’ve received from Mr. Kraft, the Kraft family, coach Belichick, my coaches and teammates, the NFLPA, my agents, my loving family and most of all, our fans. It has been a challenging 18 months and I have made the difficult decision to no longer proceed with the legal process. I’m going to work hard to be the best player I can be for the New England Patriots and I look forward to having the opportunity to return to the field this fall.”

Brady‘s chances at again avoiding the four-game suspension for his role in the Patriots’ Deflategate controversy dwindled again on Wednesday, with the Second United States Circuit Court of Appeals denying the quarterback’s request for a rehearing. After that happened, Brady was left with one final legal option: petitioning to have his case heard before the Supreme Court. Given that the SCOTUS handles some of the most important legal matters in the country, Brady’s chances of getting a new trial seemed slim. While Brady still could have filed for that hearing with the hopes of effectively deferring his four-game ban, he has elected to put the circus behind him.

Now that Brady has reluctantly accepted his four-game suspension, he won’t be eligible to return to regular-season action until Sunday, October 9th in Cleveland. The Patriots will be without their franchise quarterback for games against the Cardinals, Dolphins, Texans, and Bills, leaving understudy Jimmy Garoppolo in the starting role for the first month.

Brady will be docked four games worth of pay, which equals out to just $235K. During the ban, he will be prohibited from having contact with the team.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC East Notes: Brady, Jets, Bills, Bush

July 15th, 2016 at 5:32pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

In response to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady abandoning his Deflategate fight on Friday and accepting his four-game suspension to begin the season, owner Robert Kraft issued a statement blasting the NFL for its handling of the matter. Kraft expressed frustration with the notion that Brady “was denied his right to a fair and impartial process. The League’s investigation into a football pressure matter was flawed and biased from the start, and has been discredited nearly unanimously by accredited academics and scientists.”

Kraft continued: “The penalty imposed by the NFL was unprecedented, unjust and unreasonable, especially given that no empirical or direct evidence of any kind showed Tom did anything to violate League rules prior to, during or after the 2015 AFC Championship Game. What Tom has had to endure throughout this 18-month ordeal has been, in my opinion, as far removed from due process as you could ever expect in this country.”

Unsurprisingly, Kraft went on to pledge both his and the franchise’s full support to Brady, saying, “This entire process has indelibly taken a toll on our organization, our fans and most importantly, Tom Brady. His reluctant decision to stop pursuing further action and to put this situation behind him is what he feels is best for the team in preparation for this season and is fully supported by me and our entire organization.”

Here’s more from around the AFC East, whose three other teams are likely feeling a little better about their chances in light of the Brady news:

Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson‘s stunning Friday extension with the Jets could spell trouble for Sheldon Richardson‘s long-term prospects with the club, opines CBS Sports’ Joel Corry, who wonders if the latter will end up on the trading block next year (Twitter link). Richardson, 25, is signed through the 2017 campaign at less than $10MM in combined salary, and he has palatable cap hits of $3.115MM and $8.069MM, respectively.
On the other hand, Albert Breer of TheMMQB (on Twitter) expects Richardson to stay with the Jets through at least his current contract. The Jets would then have an opportunity to decide whether to go forth with Richardson or Wilkerson, who has $37MM in guarantees coming his way through 2017, or even both. Gang Green will also have further time to develop fellow lineman Leonard Williams – its first-rounder last year – during that period, Breer points out.
Thanks to Karlos Williams‘ four-game suspension, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter) looks for the Bills to pursue free agent running back Reggie Bush. With Williams set to miss a quarter of the season and fellow backup Jonathan Williams dealing with his own off-field issues, the Bills suddenly don’t look nearly as deep in the backfield, though they’re still positioned well with LeSean McCoy, 2015 breakout Mike Gillislee and Dan Herron in the fold. Bush, meanwhile, hasn’t yet found work since tearing his ACL as a member of the 49ers last November.

Deflategate Notes: Wednesday

July 13th, 2016 at 10:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

In case you missed it, Tom Brady‘s chances at again avoiding the four-game suspension for his role in the Patriots’ Deflategate controversy dwindled again on Wednesday, with the Second United States Circuit Court of Appeals denying the quarterback’s request for a rehearing. Here’s a look at the latest coming out of this unrelenting scandal.

Brady and the NFLPA plan to attempt to have this case heard by the Supreme Court under a certiorari petition, but that is being described as a Hail Mary by legal experts, including Jodi Balsam, a former NFL counsel for operations and litigation. “I expect [the Supreme Court] to [have] zero interest in this case,” Balsam told Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today. Although Brady is arguably the NFL’s highest-profile player, the Supreme Court receives between 7,000-10,000 requests each term to hear cases, granting around 80 in that time frame, Reyes writes. Four of the current eight justices must agree to hear the case, one that saw the Second Circuit rule against Brady twice now.
A slim chance exists for Brady to line up at quarterback for the Pats during their first four games this season, and that is for the Supreme Court to grant a stay should it agree to review the case. Before that can occur, however, the Second Circuit must deny one. Raffi Melkonian, a partner at the Houston firm of Wright & Close, told Reyes that should happen fairly quickly since it won’t expect SCOTUS to hear Deflategate-related arguments. Melkonian views this as another long-shot effort.
SCOTUS, though, will almost certainly decide whether or not to grant this stay by Week 1, Lester Munson of ESPN.com writes. The 39-year-old quarterback’s notoriety could benefit him in coaxing the Supreme Court to grant the stay. But that would be a calculated risk with the court possibly deciding not to take the case soon after, thereby finalizing Brady’s suspension but potentially postponing it until later in the 2016 season, Munson writes. As of now, Brady would miss games against the Cardinals, Dolphins, Texans and Bills — the latter three scheduled for Foxborough. The Patriots have contests against the Bengals and Steelers in October, the Seahawks in November and Broncos in December. But Munson categorizes these chances as slim as well, with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — who oversees the Second Circuit — likely only granting the stay if she knows the court will take the case. So, it looks like Brady’s suspension will begin in September if his side can’t pull off another escape.
These four games will go a long way toward determining Jimmy Garoppolo‘s status in New England, Doug Kyed of NESN.com tweets. Brady’s backup will enter the third season of a four-year contract, and with Brady likely playing through that deal, there might not be another opportunity for the 24-year-old understudy to prove he can be the long-term answer. A strong September showing could lead to extension talks, Kyed notes, or possible trade discussions if the Patriots believe Brady will be a viable option after he turns 41 in 2018.

Tom Brady Likely To Appeal To Supreme Court

July 13th, 2016 at 10:14am CST by Zachary Links

10:14am: The NFL Players Association has issued the following statement regarding Brady:

“The NFL Players Association is a labor Union that protects the rights of all of its members and pursues any violations of those rights by any means necessary. We are disappointed with the decision denying a rehearing, as there were clear violations of our collective bargaining agreement by the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Despite today’s result, the track record of this League office when it comes to matters of player discipline is bad for our business and bad for our game. We have a broken system that must be fixed.

We will review all of our options carefully on behalf of Tom Brady and all NFL players.”

9:25am: Though there is no firm decision, the expectation is that Brady will attempt to take his case to the Supreme Court, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Brady will have 90 days to file an appeal with the SCOTUS.

8:45am: The Second United States Circuit Court of Appeals has denied Tom Brady‘s request for a rehearing, Daniel Kaplan of SBJ tweets. With that, it appears that his four-game suspension will stick. Brady’s only recourse now would now be to bring his case before the Supreme Court, but it’s very challenging for anyone to have their case heard on that level.

Still, it’s conceivable that Brady’s legal team could file an appeal with the Supreme Court if only to effectively defer the suspension until the 2017 season. A filing with the Supreme Court could also light a fire under the NFL and force the league office to engage in settlement talks. To date, Roger Goodell & Co. have been steadfast in their refusal to negotiate with Brady’s camp, but team owners have been putting pressure on the NFL to get the Brady story out of the headlines. If faced with another year of Deflategate talk and a possible airing of dirty laundry before the highest federal court in the U.S., the commissioner might finally acquiesce and offer to cut Brady’s suspension in half or nix it entirely.

Brady, of course, is slated to be suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season after a three-judge panel reinstated the ban that was incurred as a result of the Patriots quarterback’s role in the Deflategate controversy. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit overturned the 2015 decision by Judge Richard Berman, stating that Brady’s suspension should be upheld.

The Wells report commissioned by the NFL more than a year ago determined that Brady was “more likely than not” to have been aware of footballs being deflated below their usual levels during the AFC Championship Game against the Colts in January 2015.

If Brady’s four-game suspension is ultimately upheld, he won’t be eligible to return to regular-season action until Sunday, October 9th in Cleveland. The Patriots would be without their starting quarterback for games against the Cardinals, Dolphins, Texans, and Bills in that scenario. Understudy Jimmy Garoppolo would step into the starting role in New England if Brady is forced to miss the first month of the coming season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Cousins, Brady, Lombardi, Jets

June 26th, 2016 at 9:58am CST by Rory Parks

The latest reports on contract talks between the Redskins and Kirk Cousins suggested that the two sides may not be reaching a long-term pact prior to the July 15 deadline, and that Cousins may consequently play out the 2016 season on the $19.95MM franchise tender. As Albert Breer of TheMMQB pointed out, Washington could be playing with fire if, as expected, Andrew Luck signs a record-breaking extension with the Colts and Cousins turns in another strong year.

Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com echoes those sentiments. He believes that, as we are still nearly three weeks away from July 15, both player and team are exercising the appropriate amount of patience and are right to not rush into a deal, but he does note that the Redskins have to be worried about the pending Luck contract. As Tandler writes, Washington could lock up Cousins today for something in the neighborhood of $20MM per year, but if they wait until next season, the club could end up paying more than $40MM more over the life of Cousins’ contract than if it acts now.

Let’s take a look at a few more links from the league’s east divisions:

Tomorrow marks five full weeks since Patriots quarterback Tom Brady filed a request for an en banc hearing with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. As Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes, legal experts anticipated that the Court would take no more than six weeks to make its decision, so Brady should know within the next few days whether he will get a second bite at the appellate apple.
Ben Volin of The Boston Globe hears that Michael Lombardi‘s recent departure from the Patriots was not as mutual as it was first reported. Volin writes that New England was happy to have Lombardi serve as the team’s assistant to the coaching staff the past two years, because most of his salary was still being paid by the Browns, but after Lombardi’s contract expired, the Patriots chose not to keep Lombardi on the books. Volin adds that head coach Bill Belichick was Lombardi’s only real ally inside the building, and that Lombardi’s role in bringing in former Browns like Jabaal Sheard and Dion Lewis was overstated.
In his ongoing examination of each team’s best and worst contracts, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com writes that the best deal on the Jets‘ books is Brandon Marshall‘s, whereas Fitzgerald believes David Harris‘ deal is the team’s worst contract.

Goodell: Deflategate Settlement Unlikely

June 6th, 2016 at 6:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Settlement talks between the NFL and Tom Brady don’t appear to be gaining traction, as John Wawrow of the Associated Press writes. “At this stage, no,” commissioner Roger Goodell said today when asked if a settlement was likely. “The courts will make their decisions, and we’ll move forward on that basis.”

Brady, of course, will be suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season after a three-judge panel reinstated the ban that was incurred as a result of the Patriots quarterback’s role in the Deflategate controversy. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit overturned the 2015 decision by Judge Richard Berman, stating that Brady’s suspension should be upheld.

“We hold that the Commissioner properly exercised his broad discretion under the collective bargaining agreement and that his procedural rulings were properly grounded in that agreement and did not deprive Brady of fundamental fairness,” read the ruling from the Court of Appeals.“Accordingly, we REVERSE the judgment of the district court and REMAND with instructions to confirm the award.”

Brady and his legal team have since filed a petition for the case to be reheard, but reports have indicated that such appeals are rarely heard. The Wells report commissioned by the NFL more than a year ago determined that Brady was “more likely than not” to have been aware of footballs being deflated below their usual levels during the AFC Championship Game against the Colts in January 2015. The league issued a four-game suspension for Brady as a result of those findings, and that penalty was overturned by Judge Berman last summer, prior to the start of the 2015 campaign, allowing Brady to play the full season. The NFL appealed Berman’s decision.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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