Roger Goodell Says Ruling On Tom Brady Appeal Could Come Next Week

Roger Goodell told CNBC that it could come down as soon as next week.

In outlining why Brady will eventually play in Week 1 for the Patriots, I pointed out we could expect to get a ruling on his appeal – at the very earliest – on Friday, June 10. But there is also some inside information on his time with the always-secretive New England Patriots.

The New England Patriots are looking to continue their stranglehold on the AFC East which they maintained for the past decade and a half. Gronkowski, for example, thought Tom Brady hated him.

Goodell said before the meeting with Brady that it would be important to hear directly from Brady explanations for multiple curious aspects of the investigation into whether the team instructed employees – John Jastremski and James McNally – to take air out of game balls.

Brady has a lot riding on the appeal. Wells issued his findings on May 6, 2015, finding that locker room attendant Jim McNally and equipment assistant John Jastremski participated in a deliberate effort to deflate footballs prior to the game. The two parties had asked that Goodell excuse himself and appoint an independent arbitrator in the matter, but Goodell refused and invoked his right as National Football League commissioner to oversee the appeal personally. Goodell told CNBC he and Kraft were not discussing Deflategate.