Even if Tom Brady sees his four-game suspension reduced on appeal, that may not be enough to satisfy the league's players association.
NFLPA president Eric Winston told Pro Football Talk on Wednesday that they're ready to fight back if the New England Patriots quarterback's suspension isn't completely overturned.
"I hope they do the right thing, I hope they exonerate Tom and overturn his suspension, but if they don’t we’re prepared to take the next step, whatever that next step might be," Winston said.
Reports surfaced earlier this month that the NFLPA would challenge any suspension for Brady in court, and Winston's comments appear to back up those claims.
Winston was also critical of how long the NFL is taking to come to a decision.
"Why it takes over a month, and why it took six months to get to that point before that, and the constant feet-dragging on not just Tom’s issue but all the issues is, to me, just seems a bit ridiculous and doesn’t serve the players very well," Winston said. "But that’s where we’re at now and we’re just going to have to continue to keep advocating for our players."
There is also the possibility that the two sides could come to a settlement regarding the suspension, and there have been discussions on that front, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
However, that may be wishful thinking at this point, considering the NFLPA isn't willing to accept anything other than the suspension being wiped out entirely and, according to Florio, some owners want commissioner Roger Goodell to uphold the four-game ban.
As Brady and the Patriots await a ruling from Goodell, one thing remains clear: Unless Goodell does a complete 180 and allows Brady to suit up in Week 1, this saga will be far from over.
