The three-time Super Bowl MVP reportedly destroyed his phone during the Deflategate investigation. Has Tom Brady’s image been irreparably tarnished by this 8-month scandal?
New England Patriots QB Tom Brady has had his four-game suspension upheld by the NFL for his role in Deflategate.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter and the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the ruling was upheld by NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell due to the revelation that Brady destroyed his cellphone – which was explicitly requested to be turned over to the league as part of the investigation in the scandal that rocked the NFL for months.
NFL upholds Tom Brady’s 4-game suspension, per source. Story continues. Now on to court.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 28, 2015
Ruling: “Brady directed that the cell phone he had used for the prior four months be destroyed.”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 28, 2015
During the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts, 11 out of 12 of the game balls were revealed to have been deflated below NFL-minimum PSI levels. An investigation later revealed that a pair of Patriots’ staffers may have deliberately deflated the balls behind the backs of NFL officials in order to make it easier to throw and catch the ball in inclement weather.
During the investigation, Brady was asked to turn over his cellphone, which reportedly has over 10,000 text messages between him and the suspected parties in the cheating scandal. Brady failed to comply and the NFL later suspended him for the first four games of the regular season and levied heavy penalties against the Patriots organization.
Brady is a two-time NFL MVP and has more playoff wins than any QB in NFL history. He is one of just three QBs in NFL history with four Super Bowl titles and one of only two with three Super Bowl MVP awards.
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