Tom Brady reluctantly accepted the four-game suspension the NFL levied on him.
It seemed as though the Deflategate saga would never come to an end. First, the NFL took part in a lengthy investigation and suspended him for his role in using underinflated footballs in the Patriots drubbing of the Colts in the AFC Championship Game in January 2015.
Then, Brady fought ... and fought ... and fought. Finally, after his appeal to the 2nd Circuit Court failed to overturn his suspension, the four-time Super Bowl champion accepted his fate.
Brady announced last month via Facebook he would accept the four-game suspension. When he addressed the media for the first time since the mid-July announcement at Patriots training camp on Friday, he called it a "personal decision," but was otherwise mum about it
"I try to just be as positive as I can be," Brady said in a video tweeted by Boston reporter Mike Petraglia. "I think that's kind of always been my motto. I know over the course of my career I've been faced with different things, and I've tried to overcome them the best way I could or the best way I knew how. I'll try to do the same thing, and I just want our team to go out there and play really well."
In Brady's absence, Jimmy Garoppolo will be under center when the Patriots visit the Cardinals on "Sunday Night Football" in Week 1, and then again when the Patriots host the Dolphins, Texans and Bills in Weeks 2-4.
Garoppolo, 24, was drafted out of Eastern Illinois in the second round (No. 62 overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft. He owns a 64.5 completion percentage in 11 NFL games in his career -- five of which occurred last season -- and has thrown for 188 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions.
Brady led the Patriots to the Super Bowl in 2015 despite being surrounded by the Deflategate controversy and as he appealed his suspension last season, he helped carry New England to its seventh straight AFC East title.
Though the quarterback fought hard against his suspension, he reluctantly announced his decision to accept it last month.
"I'm very grateful for the overwhelming support I've received from Mr. Kraft, the Kraft family, coach Belichick, my coaches and teammates, the NFLPA, my agents, my loving family and most of all, our fans," Brady wrote on Facebook. "It has been a challenging 18 months and I have made the difficult decision to no longer proceed with the legal process. I'm going to work hard to be the best player I can be for the New England Patriots and I look forward to having the opportunity to return to the field this fall."
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Tom Brady SPEAKS! pic.twitter.com/v2nUjl72zq
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) August 5, 2016
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