Tom Brady may not have won the award for the 2014 NFL season, but his value is on full display today just hours after the league announced they have suspended the four-time Super Bowl for the first four contests of the 2015 season as punishment for his alleged involvement in the Deflategate scandal.
Immediately after the announcement, Top Bet’s NFL Week 1 odds were adjusted to the Patriots as 1-point favorites over the Pittsburgh Steelers – a full five-point jump from the -6 they were listed at earlier today.
Tom Brady Suspended Four Games for Deflategate
The suspension–which Brady and the Patriots are expected to appeal–will affect the team now and in years to come, if it is upheld. In addition to a $1-million fine and the four-game suspension for Brady, New England will forfeit two draft picks: a first-rounder in the 2016 draft, and a fourth-rounder in the 2017 draft.
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Whether Brady’s appeal is successful or not, the NFL has a shaky history of upholding its own suspensions. In fact, the starting quarterback on the Patriots’ opening day opponent, Ben Roethlisberger, had his 2010 suspension for violating the league’s player conduct policy, reduced from six games to four games.
Wide receiver Josh Gordon has his 2014 season-long suspension changed to 10 games partway through the season (before promptly being re-suspended for 2015).
So when Brady will actually return to action remains to be seen, but it’s safe to say he will not play Week 1. And given the way the line has moved, the Steelers couldn’t be happier.
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