John Clayton: Patriots QB, staff should expect punishment for deflated footballs
May 6, 2015, 3:58 PM | Updated: May 7, 2015, 6:10 am
ESPN's John Clayton says New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady can expect some kind of suspension next season, he told KIRO Radio's Dori Monson.
Though it’s nearly impossible to predict what the repercussions could be for New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady for requesting deflated footballs, ESPN’s John Clayton says he can expect some kind of suspension.
Brady can expect up to an eight-game suspension, Clayton told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson on Wednesday.
“But that’s purely a guess,” he told Dori.
The NFL released its findings of the investigation into whether or not the Patriots deflated footballs used during the AFC Championship. Brady was “at least generally aware” of the violation.
The NFL began investigating after the Patriots defeated the Colts 45-7 on January 18. The Colts complained that several footballs were underinflated and the NFL confirmed that 11 of the 12 footballs were under the limit. The investigation started as the Patriots were preparing for the Super Bowl — which they won two weeks later.
“There are some people that believe this has been going on for eight years,” Clayton said.
Footballs with less pressure can be easier to grip and catch. Some quarterbacks prefer footballs that have less air.
The NFL requires balls to be inflated between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch, and each team is responsible for the balls it uses on offense.
Brady said he prefers footballs inflated to 12.5 pounds per square inch. On many occasions, Brady said he never asked for balls to be deflated outside of the rules.
The NFL report said “it was more than probable” that Jim McNally, the officials locker room attendant, and John Jastremski, an equipment assistant for the Patriots, were involved in “a deliberate effort to release air” from the footballs after they were examined by the referee.
The report includes text messages between McNally and Jastremski that imply Brady was requesting footballs deflated below 12.5 pounds per square inch.
The texts back-and-forth with Brady are “pretty incriminating” Clayton said.
The text messages included complaints between the two employees about how Brady was treating them and telling them the balls were not inflated to his liking, Clayton said.
There’s a good chance the locker room attendant and equipment assistant will be fired, Clayton said. Particularly because of some of the “nasty” texts they were sending.
The 243-page report said league investigators found no evidence that coach Bill Belichick and team management knew of the practice.
How fair is it for an attendant to get fired and not the person who issued the orders?
“It’s no different than ‘A Few Good Men,'” Clayton said. “The ones who executed the order are punished.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
