Tom Brady vehemently denied the NFL’s allegations against him, including one that he destroyed his cell phone, in a 2,900-word Facebook post on Wednesday morning. Brady said he was “very disappointed” that the NFL upheld his four-game suspension, adding, “I did nothing wrong, and no one in the Patriots organization did, either.”
But it was his words regarding the alleged destruction of his cell phone that appeared to draw the most ire.
I also disagree with yesterdays narrative surrounding my cellphone. I replaced my broken Samsung phone with a new iPhone 6 AFTER my attorneys made it clear to the NFL that my actual phone device would not be subjected to investigation under ANY circumstances. As a member of a union, I was under no obligation to set a new precedent going forward, nor was I made aware at any time during Mr. Wells investigation, that failing to subject my cell phone to investigation would result in ANY discipline.
Most importantly, I have never written, texted, emailed to anybody at anytime, anything related to football air pressure before this issue was raised at the AFC Championship game in January. To suggest that I destroyed a phone to avoid giving the NFL information it requested is completely wrong.
Brady went on to say that the NFL, and independent investigator Ted Wells, had “all relevant communications” and that there was no “smoking gun.” This of course is in direct contrast to the NFL’s statement on Tuesday evening.
On or shortly before March 6, the day that Tom Brady met with independent investigator Ted Wells and his colleagues, Brady directed that the cell phone he had used for the prior four months be destroyed. He did so even though he was aware that the investigators had requested access to text messages and other electronic information that had been stored on that phone. During the four months that the cell phone was in use, Brady had exchanged nearly 10,000 text messages, none of which can now be retrieved from that device. The destruction of the cell phone was not disclosed until June 18, almost four months after the investigators had first sought electronic information from Brady.
The two sides tried to reach a settlement, but Brady contends that the NFL made “no counter offer” after the initial discipline was handed down. Things are about to get real ugly.
