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New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and the NFL appeared in a Manhattan court today to update a federal judge on whether both sides are any closer to resolving a dispute over the quarterback's pending four-game "

The public portion of the hearing lasted approximately 80 minutes before U.S. Judge Richard Berman met separately with Brady and league officials in private.

Neither Brady nor NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke during the proceedings except to introduce themselves to the judge. The judge pressed the NFL's lawyer on the strength of the evidence in the league's case linking the four-time Super Bowl champion to the scheme to deflate footballs, according to reports.


The Patriots open their preseason Thursday against the Green Bay Packers. And 

Berman has encouraged both the league and the NFL players union to come to a consensus on punishment, so the court does not have to decide whether to uphold the four-time Super Bowl champion's four-game suspension.


There remains widespread skepticism that the two sides can reach a settlement on their own. And as 

, that will put a bigger focus on the judge's role:


 earlier this year determined Brady was aware of a scheme to deflate footballs below the league's standard during a playoff game in January. As the Two-Way has reported, Brady 

 last month, with Goodell saying that Brady had "engaged in conduct detrimental to the integrity of, and public confidence in, the game of professional football."


As Curt Nickish of member station WBUR in Boston tells NPR's Newscast:


Both sides have asked for the judge to make a decision by Sept. 4 if a settlement cannot be reached before then. That's six days before the Patriots' season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Crime, Law and Justice

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Brakkton Booker

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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and New England Patriots star Tom Brady are due in court today over the quarterback's disputed four-game suspension.

NFL 'deflategate' saga continues with both sides back in federal court

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