Add another prominent voice to the list of critics who think the NFL has overstepped its punishment of the Patriots.
But don’t expect that to trigger a retreat from the NFL.
Sports Illustrated columnist Peter King became the latest national writer to chide the league when he wrote yesterday that commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL were too harsh on the team in “Deflategate” — a case Pats fans have been making ever since the punishment came down last spring.
Those sanctions, which include the loss of this year’s first-round draft pick, a 2017 fourth-round pick and a $1 million fine, previously have been questioned by such writers as Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post, Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.