NFL Suspends Tom Brady for Four Games over “Deflate-Gate”

The NFL announced late Monday afternoon that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has been suspended for the first four games of the 2015 regular season for his role in the “deflate-gate” scandal. The Patriots will also lose their 1st round draft pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, as well as a 4th rounder in 2017.

The move comes after the NFL released their investigation of the Patriot’s training staff under inflating footballs below the NFL’s required levels. Details from the investigation suggested that Brady had known about the practice. The controversy was brought to light in the AFC Championship Game when the Indianapolis Colts noticed the footballs were not inflated properly. The Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl after defeating the Colts and Seattle Seahawks.

Unless the suspension is lessened under appeal, Brady will miss games against the Steelers, Bills, Jaguars, and Cowboys. The move also comes as another high publicity penalty handed out by the NFL in the past calendar year or so, as Roger Goodell has generated criticism over his handling of Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, Josh Gordon, and others.

The NFL and New England Patriots have yet to release a detailed explanation regarding the penalties.