Why court's ruling won't signal end of Brady's fight
The reinstatement of Tom Brady's four-game "Deflategate" suspension Monday by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals doesn't mean the Patriots' quarterback will throw in the towel and willingly accepting Roger Goodell's punishment.
Brady reportedly (and not surprisingly) is fuming over the decision and plans to explore all of his appeal options with the consent of his legal team, according to multiple reports.
What legal options still exist for Brady after the 2nd court demanded the lower court confirm its ruling rather than rehear the case?
The most likely next move is to seek an en banc session from the 2nd Circuit, which includes all 13 of its active judges reviewing Monday's decision. Because there was a dissenting view - from Chief Judge Katzmann - USA TODAY Sports cites a Houston-based attorney who believes it could help Brady's cause, though it's still a slim proposition and the request must be made within two weeks.
An even slimmer chance for Brady would be to take his appeal argument to the U.S. Supreme Court. As the USA TODAY report states, only 80 of more than 7,000 petitions make it to the highest court.
Preparing for the worst:
It's worth noting Brady's contract extension last month lessened the financial hits he'll take if he misses the first four games of this season. Per multiple reports, a suspension would now cost Brady $235,294, whereas missing four games last season would've meant Brady losing nearly $1.9 million.
The Patriots only have one other quarterback on the roster - Arlington Heights native Jimmy Garoppolo, whose next regular-season start will be his first - but it's likely New England had this outcome in mind when it did Brady's latest deal.
Make a deal:
Perhaps only slightly more likely than having the Supreme Court hear the case would be Brady going back to the NFL, hat in hand, and attempting to have his penalty reduced. Given the high profile - and high costs - associated with the case, it's highly unlikely the NFL will budge after Goodell's power was reaffirmed.
The football fallout:
Can Jimmy Garoppolo, the Rolling Meadows High grad and Eastern Illinois product, pilot the Patriots to a .500 or better mark without Brady? Las Vegas, which temporarily suspended Super Bowl bets involving New England, weighed in Monday after the suspension was reinstated, lowering a Brady-less Patriots win total to 1.5 for the first four games, which are at Arizona, followed by three home games vs. Miami, Houston and Buffalo.
We're taking the over. Garoppolo has fared well in his very small sample size, plus three of the four games are in Foxborough, with two against familiar divisional foes.
Garoppolo is more talented than Matt Cassel, the last quarterback to successfully spell Brady, and Belichick will embrace his first opportunity in eight seasons to show the Patriots operation can hum with or without Brady.
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