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 The hearing in New York before U.S. District Judge Richard Berman,
who is overseeing the players union's challenge to the suspension,
was followed by several hours of private settlement discussions with
the judge that included Brady and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Neither Brady nor Goodell would comment on whether any progress had
been made when they left the courthouse separately around 5:30 p.m.
(2130 GMT), more than five hours after the open hearing ended.
A union representative declined to comment. The NFL did not
immediately respond to a request for comment.
Earlier in court, Berman pressed NFL lawyer Daniel Nash to cite
direct evidence linking Brady to an alleged scheme to deflate
footballs in a January playoff game.
Nash acknowledged that there was no "smoking gun" but said there was
plenty of circumstantial evidence - including a series of texts
between Brady and the Patriots employees accused of letting air out
of the balls - that Brady was aware of the deflation.
Brady, 38, sat stone-faced throughout the proceeding, even when a
few light remarks from Berman drew laughs from the rest of the
courtroom.
Berman also met briefly with each side before the hearing to gauge
whether a settlement could be reached before the Patriots' season
begins on Sept. 10.
Unless there is a deal, the two sides are scheduled to appear before
Berman again on Aug. 19 for oral arguments on whether he should
uphold or vacate the suspension.
Goodell suspended Brady, one of the NFL's biggest stars, following
an investigation into the footballs used in the Patriots' 45-7
playoff victory over the Indianapolis Colts. That win took the
Patriots to the Super Bowl, where they defeated the defending
champion Seattle Seahawks, giving Brady his fourth championship
title.
Brady has denied knowing about any plan to deflate footballs, which
can make them easier to grip.
At the hearing, Berman asked Brady lawyer Jeffrey Kessler why the
quarterback refused to turn over any texts or emails to NFL
investigator Ted Wells, whose report was the basis for Goodell's
suspension. Brady also had his phone replaced and destroyed, a point
Goodell emphasized in rejecting Brady's appeal.
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Kessler, however, said Brady had followed the advice of his lawyer
in declining to hand over his communications, and added that the
quarterback routinely destroys his old phones to avoid unwanted
leaks to the media.
"This is the most overblown issue in the history of my over 40 years
of litigation," Kessler said.
Brady's presence drew a throng of reporters and photographers
outside the courthouse in downtown Manhattan, as well as a handful
of fans wearing Brady's No. 12 jersey.
Some called Goodell a "liar" as he walked in. As Brady entered,
another fan yelled, "Give 'em hell, Tom!"
Trevor Schramn, 20, was wearing a "Free Tom Brady" T-shirt and said
he had come to "support our boy."
"The Patriots are winners, and people are always going to hate the
team on top," he said.
The NFL has already fined the Patriots $1 million and stripped the
team of its first-round draft pick in 2016 and fourth-round
selection in 2017. The litigation in New York only concerns Brady's
suspension.
New England opens its preseason on Thursday night at home against
the Green Bay Packers. While Brady's suspension does not take effect
until the regular season, the team has not announced whether he will
play on Thursday.
If the suspension is upheld, second-year backup Jimmy Garoppolo, who
played sparingly last year, would likely start at quarterback in
Brady's place. In a twist, Brady would be eligible to return on Oct.
18 against the Colts in a nationally televised game.
(Additional reporting by Steve Ginsburg)
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