Tom Brady is going to serve the four-game suspension, something most people expected after U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals denied a petition on Wednesday by Brady and the NFL Players Association to rehear his suspension case.
Less than two days later, Brady gave up, sending this note on Facebook:
“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. 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.”
So now that that’s official, let’s take a look at the winners and losers, some bigger than others.
Here are some of the key players and how Brady’s decision affects them:
Biggest winners
NFL (the brand): This is not to be confused with Roger Goodell (see below). The NFL, really “The Shield,” is alive and very well. The lesson here is the NFL has no timetable and unlimited cash reserves. The NFL Offices and lawyers wielded their strength the last 18 months. You don’t mess with the NFL, you will probably lose. And you’ll have the life beaten out of you over the long stretch.
Arizona Cardinals kicker Chandler Catanzaro (7) celebrates his game-winning field goal with punter Drew Butler (2) and snapper Mike Leach (82) last year. Now they could be celebrating with Brady missing Game 1 in Glendale, Az.
Ross D. Franklin
Arizona Cardinals: They are among a handful of elite Super Bowl contenders (currently ranked 6th in most Vegas books) this season and would’ve been expected to beat the New England Patriots with Tom Brady. That changes now. They are legit 5.5 point favorites and with an improved defense (see new defensive end Chandler Jones), the Cards won’t hold back with Jimmy Garoppolo probably guiding the offense.
Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (93) and his team are among the winners with Brady missing four games. Miami plays the Patriots in Week 2, while the Bills play in Week 4. Both team have legit chances of winning a game at Gillette Stadium, a rarity.
Mark Tenally
Buffalo Bills/Miami Dolphins: While the Patriots will probably be favored in both of these early matchups — Gm 2 vs. Dolphins; Gm 4 vs. Bills — both in Foxboro, both of these AFC East teams will finally have a legitimate shot to beat the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Both of these teams are better than they were a year ago, especially on defense. Neither team has beat the Patriots in Gillette in September, October or November since Brady returned in 2009. You have to think both teams will have a shot at winning in the fourth quarter.
New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo finally gets his chance. Finally.
Elise Amendola
Back QB Jimmy Garoppolo: He has four games to show he can play in this league. If he does well, leading the Patriots to three wins and looks like a smooth passer and possible leader, he will be playing his last year in New England. With Brady expected to play at least three seasons — he says six or seven seasons — Garoppolo’s shot to be an NFL starter will be elsewhere, provided he shows something in these four games. It will be a big enough sample size for some team to offer a first round pick.
Winners
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick could show people, with low expectations, how good he is as an underdog.
Charles Krupa
Pats coach Bill Belichick: Think about it. Belichick’s team is expected to finish 2-2 without the face of the franchise at quarterback. If they went 1-3, would anybody blame Belichick? No. But that’s when Belichick has always been at his absolute best, when the underdog. Remember, this was not thrust upon him on Sept. 1. He has known and planned for his possiblity for several months. That might mean a new Garoppolo-themed offense. Anyway, Belichick comes off looking like a star if the Patriots go 3-1 or, god forbid, 4-0.
The AFC East is a big winners. The New York Jets, shown here by star defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (96), could be big benefactors of the Patriots go 1-3 or worse while Brady is out.
Seth Wenig
AFC East: This is for everybody in the division, including the Jets. The Patriots are, potentially, vulnerable when it comes to winning 12 of the last 13 division titles. With Brady, the Patriots would be 3-1 or even 4-0. But now at 2-2 or possibly, 1-3, a division title might be up for grabs. Who knows? Maybe this adversely affects the team and they finish 10-6 and don’t make the playoffs. Would I bet on it? No. But it’s possible.
Losers
AP Photo/Elise AmendolaNew England Patriots owner Robert Kraft walks through a hotel during an NFL spring meeting in Boston.
Elise Amendola
Robert Kraft: This is a hit for the Patriots owner. He hasn’t been himself in public, particularly with fans. He’s in a tough position as a partner with the league and Roger Goodell and then the guardian of the Patriots, which most people believe were overly penalized — first and fourth round picks, $1 million fine, Brady suspended four games — for a violation that the rulebook states is a $20,000 fine. This penalty shows the league and/or a few teams have it out for the way the Patriots, known by many as being “smug,” do business.
AP photosNFL Commissioner Roger Goodell leaves federal court in New York yesterday.
Mary Altaffer
Roger Goodell: The NFL beats (really outlasts) Brady and the NFLPA, but the commissioner doesn’t come off looking good. While he probably had to earn his $44 million-a-year salary taking the bullet for teams like the Steelers, Jets and Ravens, all of whom despise the Patriots. Goodell hasn’t shown his face in Foxboro in more than 18 months, which is foolish, as if he’s hiding. His “going after” Brady, probably the most publicized player in NFL history, will cost his reputation.
Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan, left, visits with his father Buddy Ryan before an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Orchard Park last year. The pressure is on Rex and his defensive coordinator brother, Rob Ryan, to beat the Patriots in September and make a run at a division title.
Bill Wippert
Rex and Rob Ryan: The pressure is on Rex Ryan this fall and early winter. He, per the norm, has promised the moon for Buffalo Bills fans. Well, that means the Bills first game against the Patriots in Foxboro, Week 4, is almost a must-win for the Ryan Brothers. If the Bills were to win that game and beat the (at) Ravens, Jets and Cardinals, they would be in position to dethrone the AFC East behemoths. But if they were to lose to the Patriots, and finish 1-3 through four games, their comedy show might be over.
It’s been a tough week for the Cleveland Browns. First running back Isaiah Crowell (34), shown here, apologized for a Instragram post/artist rendering of a black man slitting the throw of a police officer and now the Browns find out they will be Tom Brady’s first opponent after his four-game suspension.(AP Photo/Ron Schwane, File)
Ron Schwane
Cleveland Browns: The poor Browns. They did nothing wrong this offseason. In fact, they hired what seems to be a very good coach in Hue Jackson and they dumped Johnny Manziel after many attempts to save him failed. Guess who the Browns face in Week 5 of the NFL season? The Brady-led Patriots. Brady will be frothing at the mouth. While it will be played in Cleveland, it doesn’t matter. The guess here is Brady has one of the best games of his career.
Biggest loser
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, says Bill Burt, shown here holding up the game ball after an NFL divisional playoff football in Foxborough, will not be smiling too often during the four games he will sit to start the 2016 season.(AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
Elise Amendola
Tom Brady: There is only one, big fat loser here. You have to understand the way Brady thinks. He doesn’t want someone else to take his job. This goes back to when he was at Michigan, when he was platooned and lost his job on two occasions. Brady plays every game like it’s his last. Sitting four games, while healthy, will be the toughest thing he’s had to endure since his injury, even worse than the 18 months of garbage the NFL heaved on him. He is a sore loser. Even worse, he’s a sore sitter. It’s going to be a tough month, especially since he can’t be with the team during the suspension. Mr. Mom is fun, but in due time.
You can email Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.