NFL Players’ Association asks Goodell to recuse himself as Brady appeal arbiter
The NFLPA is asking league commissioner Roger Goodell to pick someone else to hear Tom Brady’s suspension appeal.
The NFLPA has formally requested that Commissioner Roger Goodell recuse himself as the arbitrator in Tom Brady’s disciplinary appeal. Given a process that has contained procedural violations of our collective bargaining agreement, the Commissioner’s role as a central witness in the appeal hearing and his evident partiality with respect to the Wells report, the Commissioner must designate a neutral party to serve as an arbitrator in this matter. The players also believe that the Commissioner’s history of inconsistently issuing discipline against our players makes him ill-suited to hear this appeal in a fair-minded manner.
If the NFL believes the Ted Wells report has credibility because it is independent, then the NFL should embrace our request for an independent review.
Brady was suspended four games for his role in the Deflategate scandal, but filed an appeal and requested a neutral arbiter. Under Article 46 of the collective bargaining agreement, Goodell may appoint himself as hearing officer in a case involving player suspension.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft will not fight the $1 million fine or forfeiture of draft picks imposed on the team as part of the Deflategate punishment, but that will reportedly not be of any help in Brady’s appeal process.
Timeline of Deflategate
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