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Drew Brees: I'm not going to trust any investigation led by Goodell, NFL

Ronald Martinez / Getty Images Sport / Getty

After the fallout between the New Orleans Saints and the NFL from the 2012 "Bountygate" scandal, quarterback Drew Brees doesn't have much reason to have faith in Roger Goodell or the league office.

So he doesn't.

The United States appeals court reinstated quarterback Tom Brady's four-game suspension on Monday, upholding Goodell's initial ruling, and Brees didn't hold back in his response.

"I think we would all agree that (Goodell) definitely has too much power," he told Sports Illustrated. "He is judge, jury, and executioner when it comes to all the discipline. I'm not going to trust any league-led investigation, when it comes to anything. It's not transparent.

"At times, I feel like there is a desired conclusion or agenda that they have in mind and that may prevent the absolute truth from being told or the absolute facts from being presented.

"At the end of the day, we as the public. We as players don't ever get to really see that. We don't get to see those facts, those truths, and those things. That's the unfortunate part of this whole thing."

Brees said he, as well as most players, believed Brady's concern was "a dead issue," but admitted he isn't aware of how the case has progressed. He added that he'd prefer for a third party to handle disciplinary issues, citing mishandling that occurred during the "Bountygate" investigation.

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