Roger Goodell Won't Back Down, Will Hear Tom Brady's Suspension Appeal

Roger Goodell is going to continue his role as judge, jury and executioner.

The NFL commissioner wrote a letter to the NFL Players Association on Tuesday, firmly stating that he’ll reside over Tom Brady’s appeal of his suspension. The New England Patriots quarterback received a four-game ban as punishment for his role in Deflategate.

“The NFLPA argues that recusal is required because I have ‘prejudged’ the matter and cannot fairly evaluate the potential testimony of league staff members,” Goodell’s letter says in part, per NFL.com. “After carefully considering this argument, I reject it. …

“When the parties agreed in the Collective Bargaining Agreement to continue the provisions confirming the Commissioner’s ‘discretion’ to hear ‘any’ appeal of a player facing discipline for conduct detrimental, they clearly understood (a) that such appeals regularly involve testimony by league staff about the issues and events in dispute and (b) that if the Commissioner has taken some action against the player for conduct detrimental and given him notice of impending discipline, he necessarily would have reached an initial conclusion about the player’s actions.”

The letter is long, but Goodell’s conclusion for hearing Brady’s appeal essentially boiled down to “You agreed to it in the CBA, therefore I’m going to do it” — which, unfortunately for Patriots fans, isn’t wrong. However, the commissioner did explicitly mention that he’s willing to be swayed by whatever Brady has to say.

“I have publicly expressed my appreciation to Mr. Wells and his colleagues for their thorough and independent work. But that does not mean that I am wedded to their conclusions or to their assessment of the facts,” Goodell wrote. “Nor does it mean that, after considering the evidence and argument presented during the appeal, I may not reach a different conclusion about Mr. Brady’s conduct or the discipline imposed. …

“As I have said publicly, I very much look forward to hearing from Mr. Brady and to considering any new information or evidence that he may bring to my attention. My mind is open; there has been no ‘prejudgment’ and no bias that warrants recusal.”