New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has now reportedly said that his team will accept the punishment that the NFL handed down to his team last week for their role in the deflation of the footballs prior to the team’s AFC Championship victory over the Indianapolis Colts, according to ESPN.
“Although I might disagree what is decided, I do have respect for [commissioner Roger Goodell] and believe that he’s doing what he perceives to be in the best interests of [all 32 teams],” Kraft said Tuesday while at the NFL owners meetings. “So in that spirit, I don’t want to continue the rhetoric that’s gone on for the last four months.
“I’m going to accept, reluctantly, what he has given to us and not continue this dialogue and rhetoric. We won’t appeal.”
As a result of the Wells report, the league fined the Patriots $1 million and docked them two draft picks — a first-rounder in 2016 and a fourth-rounder in 2017. There were rumblings initially that the Patriots might possible take legal action against the league had they not reduced the punishment, but it now appears as though that won’t come to fruition.
As for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who was suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season for the role that he is believed to have played in Deflate-gate, his appeal of his punishment is expected to go on as planned after it was filed for him by the NFLPA.
The Patriots open up the 2015 regular season at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
