BOSTON ¨C The National Football League on Monday fined the New England Patriots $1 million for its role in ¡°Deflategate¡± and will suspend star quarterback Tom Brady for the first four games of next season.
The NFL also said the Patriots will forfeit their first-round selection in the 2016 draft for using under-inflated footballs in last season¡¯s AFC Championship game.
Ted Wells, an attorney hired by the NFL to investigate the allegations, said in his 243-page report that it was ¡°more probable than not¡± that Patriots personnel ¡°were involved in a deliberate effort¡± to circumvent rules by using deflated footballs in the team¡¯s 45-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC championship game.
¡°We reached these decisions after extensive discussion with Troy Vincent and many others,¡± NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. Vincent is the NFL¡¯s vice president of football operations.
¡°We relied on the critical importance of protecting the integrity of the game and the thoroughness and independence of the Wells report,¡± it added.
The victory in the Jan. 18 game propelled the Patriots into the Super Bowl, which they won over the Seattle Seahawks 28-24, clinched by a dramatic interception in the waning seconds.
Although there was no smoking gun, the Wells report, which took nearly four months to complete, found Brady and two members of the Patriots¡¯ equipment staff were all likely culpable
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