Tom Brady Statement: ‘I Did Nothing Wrong,’ ‘Disappointed’ By NFL Decision


NFL star Tom Brady is not happy about the league’s decision to uphold his four-game suspension – and he is apparently not afraid to admit it either.

The New England Patriots quarterback posted a lengthy statement on his Facebook page Wednesday, which provided a detailed explanation of his reaction to the decision.

In the opening of his 500-word statement, Tom Brady claims that he and the Patriots are innocent and that the accusations against them are false.

“I am very disappointed by the NFL’s decision to uphold the 4 game suspension against me. I did nothing wrong, and no one in the Patriots organization did either.”

Tom Brady also shared his disappointment in the Commissioner upholding his suspension after dismissing hours of testimony that he concluded was “unreliable.”

“Despite submitting to hours of testimony over the past 6 months, it is disappointing that the Commissioner upheld my suspension based upon a standard that it was ‘probable’ that I was ‘generally aware’ of misconduct. The fact is that neither I, nor any equipment person, did anything of which we have been accused. He dismissed my hours of testimony and it is disappointing that he found it unreliable.”

The 37-year-old four-time Super Bowl champion then addressed the emphasis that was place on his cell phone and what was done to it.

TMZ reports that Tom Brady was not able to submit his cell phone as evidence during the “Deflategate” investigation because he had it destroyed.

Brady was accused of using the allegedly destroyed mobile device to text clubhouse attendants in regards to the plan about deflating the footballs for the AFC Championship game earlier this year. The text messages from the device were not retrievable, according to Brady’s attorney, since the cell phone was destroyed.

According to the report, the NFL stated that Tom Brady stated in his testimony that he regularly destroys his cell phone and SIM card after he gets a new phone. Tom Brady reportedly gave his cell phone to his assistant for destruction on March 6 – the same day that he was also questioned about the tampering allegations.

Brady opened up about those reports in his statement, claiming that his attorneys informed him that his cell phone would not be subjected to investigation – which is why he decided to go through with replacing his allegedly broken phone.

“I replaced my broken Samsung phone with a new iPhone 6 AFTER my attorneys made it clear to the NFL that my actual phone device would not be subjected to investigation under ANY circumstances. As a member of a union, I was under no obligation to set a new precedent going forward, nor was I made aware at any time during Mr. Wells investigation, that failing to subject my cell phone to investigation would result in ANY discipline.”

Brady also denied communicating with “anybody at anytime” about “anything related to football air pressure” before the issue was raised in January.

“To suggest that I destroyed a phone to avoid giving the NFL information it requested is completely wrong.”

Tom insists that he did everything that he could to “try and reconcile the record and fully cooperate with the investigation” after he as disciplined for the incident back in May.

He even claims that he contacted the phone company to see if there was anything that could be done to retrieve the text messages from his old device – exhausting “every possibility to give the NFL everything we could.”

According to Brady, the NFL knew that Ted Wells had all of the “relevant communications with Patriots personnel.”

“There is no ‘smoking gun’ and this controversy is manufactured to distract from the fact they have zero evidence of wrongdoing.”

Brady further claims that he wanted to make a settlement offer with the NFL to avoid going to court and “put this inconsequential issue behind” them. Tom states that, while he does respect the Commissioner’s authority, “he also has to respect the CBA and my rights as a private citizen.”

“I will not allow my unfair decision to become a precedent for other NFL players without a fight.”

To conclude his statement, Tom Brady expressed gratitude for the support that he has received from his fans, friends and family – mentioning that he was “overwhelmed” and “humbled” by it. He is also eager to get back to work, playing and “winning more games for the New England Patriots.”

[Image Credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images]

Share this article: Tom Brady Statement: ‘I Did Nothing Wrong,’ ‘Disappointed’ By NFL Decision
More from Inquisitr