Patriots QB Tom Brady Abandons Deflategate Fight, Will Serve Suspension

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is a competitor on the football field, but he has decided to concede defeat and serve the four-game “Deflategate” suspension handed down by the NFL, according to ESPN.

Brady made the decision public on his Facebook page, stating that he is not going to pursue further legal action against the NFL.

“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.”

Deflategate is over. Tom Brady won't appeal his suspension, will miss the first four games of 2016.https://t.co/3c7GAuI0gQ

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) July 15, 2016

Earlier this week, Tom Brady’s latest appeal was rejected by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, per the Inquisitr. In order to continue the legal process, Brady would have had to take his grievance to the Supreme Court, which he has chosen not to do.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft also released a statement, expressing his deep disappointment in the process that will sideline his superstar quarterback for the first four games of the 2016 season.

“While I was disappointed with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision not to rehear Tom Brady’s case, I am most frustrated that Tom was denied his right to a fair and impartial process,” Kraft said in a statement earlier today.

“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.

“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.”

Kraft supports Brady, slams "flawed and biased" investigation https://t.co/CXtyy9pNWQ

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) July 15, 2016

The lengthy ordeal that is Deflategate originally began in January, 2015, as detailed by a timeline supplied by NFL.com. The NFL received reports that Tom Brady and the Patriots used underinflated footballs during their AFC Championship Game victory over the Indianapolis Colts. After a brief investigation, the league found that 11 of the footballs used by the Patriots in that game were illegally underinflated (footballs must be inflated between a specific range of air pressure, per NFL rules).

Observers felt that due to the cold weather the Patriots and Colts encountered during that game, a team might gain an advantage by using deflated footballs, which are thought to be easier to catch and easier to hold onto under those type of conditions.

In May of 2015, the NFL announced that it was suspending Tom Brady for four games without pay for his alleged involvement in Deflategate. Brady and the NFL Players Association immediately began an appeal process that allowed the Patriots’ quarterback to play the entire 2015 season, but as the process continued to drag on and the four-game suspension still looming, Brady has chosen to serve the suspension — in effect putting an end to the Deflategate scandal.

It is possible that the NFLPA will decide to continue the appeal process on their own, reports USA Today. However, in an official statement, the NFLPA said they will review their options, but will not pursue the matter further at this time.

Do you think Patriots superstar Tom Brady did the right thing, or should he have continued to battle against the NFL-imposed Deflategate suspension?

[Photo by Rick Osentoski/AP Images]