This entire Deflategate saga is setting a dangerous precedent.
What happens now when a team is actually caught red handed cheating? With Deflategate they’ve established any player involved can be suspended multiple games and the $1 million fine and loss of two picks including a first rounder is the BASELINE and that was for a team being punished without any hard proof they did ANYTHING.
So even if Brady’s absolved in court, the precedent remains. The Patriots are maybe the only team that can overcome the totality of their punishment even if it all stayed in place. But a team that is caught with irrefutable proof? The NFL will have to choice but to effectively BURY them completely.