Report: Tom Brady Will Be Suspended, Announcement Expected Next Week

NFL fans should soon find some closure on Deflategate.

According to a New York Daily News report, the NFL has decided to suspend Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for his role in the cheating scandal that has become a media firestorm. The report also says to expect a "hefty" fine levied against the Patriot organization.

The NFL remains fairly confident in the evidence discovered by the Wells' Report and connecting the dots of circumstantial evidence has led the league to believe that Brady was in on it.

Not only will the league decide that Brady was in on ordering the footballs to be deflated below legal limits, but the failure to cooperate will also be taken into account as 'conduct detrimental to the league.'

The report, written by Gary Myers, gives two games as his guesstimate on how many games Brady will sit. An appeal will undoubtedly be issued so the league will have to take that into an account, as well.

The Miami Herald reported that Brady could face as much as a year suspension, but sources have insisted that wont happen, according to Myers.

As far as an organizational fine goes, commissioner Roger Goodell can look no further than what was levied against the Patriots in 2007 when he fined the team $500,000 for the Spygate scandal. The team also had to surrender a first round pick.

The New Orleans Saints were also fined $500,000 for their role in Bountygate, which is the maximum amount a team can be fined under league rules.

Goodell and the NFL has come under fire for their handling of past issues including original weak suspensions to Ray Rice for a domestic violence incident inside an elevator at Revel Casino in Atlantic City.

One thing is for sure, the league views any infraction that jeopardizes the integrity of the game to be very serious. Couple that Brady and the Patriots not cooperating with an independent investigator they hired, you could be looking at a multiple game suspension.

The Patriots open up the season against the Steelers, followed by games at Buffalo and against the Jaguars before a fourth week bye.

An announcement is expected next week.

--PG