http://mmqb.si.com/2015/05/24/memorial-day-nfl-veterans-tom-brady-deflategate/2/
This is what worries me might happen.Of course, that strategy relies on Brady going the distance with this. Team Brady has gone into hiding since the suspension was handed down, but the word around the Patriots is that Brady is angry and wants to clear his name, no matter what. Remember though, Kraft was in the same spot and stood down. It is a different scenario (Kraft really had no recourse beyond suing the NFL and the 31 other owners in a case he would likely lose), but Kraft and Brady are usually of similar mindset on this kind of stuff. Brady agreed to be a named plaintiff in the lockout antitrust legislation, but he never seemed to have his heart in it. He was certainly far from vocal about it, and he wasn’t very happy that, because of alphabetical order, his name was the only one listed when it came to Brady, et al v. NFL.
• Also keep in mind that Brady has never been the darling of the NFLPA due to his refusal to take top dollar, despite being the best quarterback of his generation. Right now, according toSpotrac, the Patriots are due to rank 16th, 15th and 20th the next three years in percentage of cap spent on quarterbacks thanks to Brady’s team-friendly contract. That is not an accident. After losing the 2012 AFC Championship Game to the Ravens, Kraft told Brady on a shared flight to California that if he wanted get paid what he’s worth in a year or two, it probably wasn’t going to be tenable for the team. The Patriots did not want to pay 18 percent of their cap to a quarterback (they were at the time), even one as great as Brady. Kraft told Brady that he was basically going to have to play at half price, which he will be starting this year through the end of the contract in ’17, to help the team give him the supporting cast to win championships and enhance his legacy. Brady thought about it, and agreed. The extension was announced in late Feb. 2013. Also keep in mind that, Brady has never had the most guaranteed money in his contracts, also to help the team out.
• Considering Brady’s willingness to toe the company line in terms of the lockout and his contracts, will he really see the NFLPA’s litigation strategy through to the end? What happens if, after Goodell cuts Brady’s suspension by a game or two, Kraft and Brady have another powwow and the owner he greatly respects says, “Tom, like the team, there’s a way out of this where you can still insist on your innocence and you can get back to your team, teammates and the game on the field after one or two games. I think it’d be wise if you dropped the lawsuit, put the distraction behind you and do what you do best: win football games on the field. Take it out on the other teams, and let’s go win that fifth Super Bowl that will leave you alone at the top over Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw.” With training camp approaching and Brady in full football mode (he’s seldom not), will Brady continue to be involved in litigation strategy? Maybe, but if you polled those who know Brady, most would bet on him doing what he has always done: putting his teammates first and getting back to a total football mindset as soon as possible.
