After nearly a month of settlement discussions, Judge Richard Berman was unable to get Tom Brady and the NFLPA to come to an agreement with Roger Goodell and the NFL.
Inevitably, Berman will decide Brady's fate in Deflategate. And Berman fully expects to issue a ruling by Tuesday or Wednesday.
We examine the possible outcomes:
Berman confirms Roger Goodell's award: As badly as Berman embarrassed the league in the first two hearings, the NFL has the law on its side. Arbitration awards are given extreme deference in federal court. One theory: Berman hammered the NFL to show that he understood what a joke Deflategate was, full-well knowing that he legally had little choice but to rule in the league's favor.