Tom Brady still needs time to ‘digest’ findings of investigation

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had no response to the findings of an investigation that alleges he had knowledge that the team played with deflated footballs last season.

“I don’t have really any reaction,” Brady said on CNN during a live conference at Salem State University on Thursday.

The NFL released its findings of the investigation in to whether or not the Patriots deflated footballs used during the AFC Championship. Brady was “at least generally aware” of the violation.

“It’s only been 30 hours,” Brady said.

When will he address the findings?

“Hopefully soon,” he said. There’s still a “process” going on right now.

There’s no doubt in most people’s minds that Brady will be punished for tampering with footballs.

But will Brady’s actions keep him from being considered one of the NFL greats and prevent him from entering in to the Hall of Fame?

Barry Bonds, arguably the greatest home run hitter in Major League Baseball, will not be in the Hall of Fame, KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson pointed out Thursday. So shouldn’t Brady be kept out of the NFL Hall of Fame?

“Absolutely not,” 710 ESPN’s Brock Huard said. Why? “Because [Brady] went and played in a Super Bowl right after.”

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.

That Super Bowl performance is at least one reason Brady is still considered a great quarterback.

“Right after [the AFC Championship] he went and played in the Super Bowl against the Legion of Boom and one of the best defenses in the history of the game,” Huard told Dori.

Down 10 points in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLIX, Brady completed 13 of 15 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks.

If he was in the position to vote Brady into the Hall of Fame, Dori isn’t sure what he would do it. Alex Rodriguez, as another example, will never make the MLB’s Hall of Fame.

“What’s the distinction,” Dori asked.

There’s a difference between players enhancing their bodies to improve performance and tampering a little with a piece of equipment, Huard responded.

Slightly deflating the footballs follows the Patriots’ trend of pushing the limit. They are always doing questionable things that are in a gray area, Huard said.

“They’re going to push the envelope as far as they can,” he said.

So what should Brady do now?

Dori believes the quarterback should come clean before next season.

If he doesn’t come clean, Huard said the league could keep digging and find more skeletons in Brady’s closet.

“Just come clean,” Huard said. “Say ‘yeah, I took a little air out.'”

Through all of this, Brady said it hasn’t tainted the Patriots Super Bowl win.

“We earned and achieved everything we got this year,” Brady said.