Patriots Sign QB Matt Flynn In Light of Tom Brady’s Four-Game Suspension
In light of four-time Super Bowl champion QB Tom Brady’s four-game suspension from the NFL due to his role in the Deflategate scandal (which the Inquisitr noted Brady was accused of knowing that too much air pressure was released from balls), the New England Patriots have signed QB Matt Flynn.
Flynn is expected to backup second-year pro Jimmy Garoppolo.
.@Patriots to sign QB Matt Flynn (via @RapSheet): http://t.co/wsIC65GZ0gpic.twitter.com/B7EauEgs2c
— NFL (@nfl) June 11, 2015
With this signing, the Patriots are saying they firmly believe that Brady’s suspension will be upheld, even though Commissioner Roger Goodell has said he is keeping an open mind towards hearing an appeal. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed as much.
“Commissioner Goodell will hear the appeal of Tom Brady’s suspension in accordance with the process agreed upon with the NFL Players Association in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement.”
The Brady suspension is by far the most high-profile one to occur for the NFL. New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton was suspended for the entirety of the 2012 season due to “BountyGate,” where players were given bonuses for delivering big hits to opposing teams. However, Tom Brady is virtually the face of the National Football League, and the two instances are vastly different.
New Patriot Flynn has had a rollercoaster career through his seven seasons in the NFL. After being selected by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft, he backed-up perennial All-Pro Aaron Rodgers before heading over to the Seattle Seahawks in early 2012 on a $26 million deal.
The problem Flynn ran into was QB Russell Wilson, who was drafted shortly after Flynn signed with Seattle and was eventually named the starter in his rookie season. Of course, the Seahawks went on to win the championship the next season over the Denver Broncos by a score of 43-8, and followed up that dominating performance by getting back to the title game the very next year.
However, after the Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII, Flynn became expendable seeing as how Wilson was looked to as the QB of the future. Seattle shipped Flynn off to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a couple draft picks, but he wound up not being able to secure that starting spot, either. He was released by Oakland six months after arriving.
Flynn then joined the Buffalo Bills six weeks into the season on October 14, 2013, before again being released, this time after only one month. He saw no on-field action.
The QB then made his way back to Green Bay, where he rode the pine for all of 2014.
Here are some of Flynn’s highlights when he filled in for Rodgers and the Pack, mainly occurring during garbage time situations.
Do you think Matt Flynn can compete for the starting spot in New England? Let us know in the comments.
[Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images]
