NFL Suspends QB Tom Brady 4 Games for Involvement in Deflategate Scandal

The NFL has punished New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady with a four-game suspension without pay for his involvement in the Deflategate scandal. The reigning Super Bowl MVP will appeal the suspension, his agent said.

"The discipline is ridiculous and has no legitimate basis," Brady's agent, Don Yee, said in a statement. "The NFL has a well-documented history of making poor disciplinary decisions that often are overturned when truly independent and neutral judges or arbitrators preside. Sadly, today's decision diminishes the NFL as it tells its fans, players and coaches that the games on the field don't count as much as the games played on Park Avenue."

Brady has three days to file an appeal.

"Despite our conviction that there was no tampering with footballs, it was our intention to accept any discipline levied by the league. Today's punishment, however, far exceeded any reasonable expectation. It was based completely on circumstantial rather than hard or conclusive evidence." Patriots' owner Robert Kraft said in a statement Monday. "We are humbled by the support the New England Patriots have received from our fans throughout the world," the statement said. "We recognize our fans' concerns regarding the NFL's penalties and share in their disappointment in how this one-sided investigation was handled, as well as the dismissal of the scientific evidence supported by the Ideal Gas Law in the final report."

The statement continued, "Tom Brady has our unconditional support. Our belief in him has not wavered."

The NFL investigation into Deflategate concluded that it was "more probable than not" that the team had violated the rules of the game when 11 of the 12 balls used during the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts were found to be improperly inflated.

The league fined the Patriots $1 million, which matches the largest fine in NFL history. The team also lost a first-round draft pick for 2016 and a fourth-round pick in 2017. The two employees directly involved in the scandal have been suspended indefinitely.

In regards to Brady, the NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent determined that there was "substantial and credible evidence" that Brady knew of the employees' tampering actions. The league also stated that Brady failed to cooperate with investigators.

"Each player, no matter how accomplished and otherwise respected, has an obligation to comply with the rules and must be held accountable for his actions when those rules are violated and the public's confidence in the game is called into question," Vincent wrote.

If Brady's appeal is not granted, he will not be playing in the marquee Sept. 10 season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He will also miss games against the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys. Brady would return for the Patriots-Colts rematch.

Jimmy Garoppolo would start in Brady's place. Garoppolo, a 2014 second-round pick, has thrown 27 NFL passes, one of which was a touchdown.