Don't expect a settlement today

Roger Goodell and Tom Brady are back in court today as we near the end (or at least what we think is the end) of Deflategate. There has been some speculation that a ruling could be reached by Judge Richard M. Berman today, but the chances of that seem slim.

The one thing you can almost definitely expect not to happen today is a settlement between Brady and Goodell. New York Giants owner John Mara is in court today at the request of Judge Berman in an effort to try and get the sides to settle. But from what we've heard up to this point, it seems that the NFL more so than Brady is adamant on not settling.

Here are some other scenarios that could happen, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk:

The NFL and NFL Players Association have jointly requested that Judge Berman issue a ruling by September 4, six days before the Week One game between the Steelers and Patriots. Judge Berman hasn’t promised a decision by then, possibly hoping that the uncertainty will push the two sides closer together.

A settlement remains possible even if not likely, especially if Judge Berman tells the two sides that there will be no clear winner and no clear loser if they force him to issue a ruling. For example, he could kick the case back for another appeal hearing with a different hearing officer, or he could rule in the NFL’s favor but enter an order allowing Brady to play while the appeal process above Judge Berman plays out.

If any major news breaks, we'll have it for you as it happens.

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