FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady appealed his four-game suspension for his role in using deflated footballs during the AFC championship game, and the players union immediately urged Commissioner Roger Goodell to appoint a neutral arbitrator to hear the case.
The expected appeal was filed by the NFL Players Association on Thursday about an hour before the 5 p.m. deadline. The league's collective bargaining agreement stipulates that it will be decided by Commissioner Roger Goodell or a person he designates.
"Given the NFL's history of inconsistency and arbitrary decisions in disciplinary matters, it is only fair that a neutral arbitrator hear this appeal," the union said in a news release.