New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is still suspended four games for the 2015 season after National Football League (NFL) Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld the suspension for the four-time Super Bowl winner last Tuesday.
Brady was slapped with the suspension for the violation of the NFL's policy on integrity of the game because of their American Football Conference (AFC) Championship win over the Indianapolis Colts last season where they allegedly used deflated footballs.
The 37-year-old quarterback's camp plans to bring the case to court and appeal as they are looking for an injunction on the suspension, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
Rapoport added that the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) will also appeal filing the suit in Minnesota.
According to NFL.com, Brady's destruction of the evidence was one of the factors considered by Goodell that led to his decision of upholding the suspension.
Goodell wrote in the final decision of the appeal that Brady ordered his assistant to destroy the cellphone he has been using since 2014 until the period when the AFC Championship game took place and when the initial investigation about the Deflategate scandal started.
More than 10,000 text messages from the cellphone could no longer be retrieved and the fact that the cellphone was destroyed was only revealed last June 18 nearly four months after investigators asked for electronic evidence from Brady, Goodell also wrote.
The Patriots expressed their dismay through a statement released Tuesday saying, "We are extremely disappointed in today's ruling by Commissioner Goodell. We cannot comprehend the league's position in this matter. Most would agree that the penalties levied originally were excessive and unprecedented, especially in light of the fact that the league has no hard evidence of wrongdoing. We continue to unequivocally believe in and support Tom Brady."
New England also stated that it is " incomprehensible" why the NFL is trying to destroy the reputation of one of its best players in Brady.
