Tom Brady is taking the high road.
Days after the seven-month-long Deflategate saga culminated in a lifting of his four-game suspension, Brady had kind words to say about NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. In a conference call with Pittsburgh media, Brady was quoted as saying, “I certainly have a great amount of respect for the commissioner and what his job is. My job is to be the best quarterback I can be. That’s what I’m going to try to be on Thursday.”
During the course of the NFL’s investigation and subsequent appeals process Brady was notably tight-lipped, deferring most of the rhetoric to his lawyer, Jeffrey Kessler, and only releasing carefully worded Facebook posts during critical moments in the process. The Pittsburgh media pressed Brady for a soundbite, but were met with the stereotypical non-answers that have come to define New England Patriots’ media sessions.
“I’ve been dealing with that for seven months,” said Brady in reference to Deflategate. “I’m really at the point where I’m focused on the Steelers.”
Brady did add that he has “a lot of personal feelings” about the situation, but that the discussion about that topic was “for another time.”
In typical Patriots’ fashion, Brady concluded the session by stating, “It’s time for me to do my job.” The phrase “Do Your Job” was New England’s team motto during last season’s run to a Super Bowl XLIX Championship. The New England Patriots will begin the journey to defend that title on Thursday evening when they square off against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium in the opening game of the 2015 NFL season.
