Tom Brady wasn’t trying to cover his tracks when he began calling equipment assistant John Jastremski in the days following the AFC Championship Game.
He was being supportive, and trying to prepare Jastremski for the increased attention he might have faced.
That’s the contention of one of the early passages of the Patriots’ rebuttal to the Ted Wells report, which they’re airing out today.
While the Wells report suggested that the six (at least) phone conversations between the two was indicative of something untoward, the Patriots say Brady’s motives were pure and “readily understandable.”
They began with the suggestion that in the “media frenzy” which ensued, “Mr. Brady is used to the limelight and to critics; Mr. Jastremski is not. Since Mr. Jastremski prepared the footballs, it was reasonable to expect that this media attention would focus on him. It was also reasonable to expect that (as happened) Mr. Jastremski’s boss would question Mr. Jastremski to see what, if anything, he knew. Mr. Brady’s reaching out to Mr. Jastremski to see how he was holding up in these circumstances is not only understandable, but commendable.”
The Patriots also said that part of the reason for the increased communication between Brady and an equipment assistant was in preparation for the Super Bowl, since it was Jastremski’s first in charge of preparing the balls, and the logistical issues inherent in playing at a neutral site in new conditions.
“All of these discussion topics were triggered by winning the AFC Championship and needed to be dealt with in the days following that win,” the Patriots insist. “In short, increased Brady-Jastremski communications in the days following the AFC Championship Game do not make it more likely than not that there was any wrongdoing or knowledge of wrongdoing. They are totally consistent with complete innocence. It is only speculation to conclude otherwise. Nonetheless, it forms part of the report’s stated rationale for its findings against Mr. Brady.”
There are a few problems here. Access to Patriots personnel is tightly controlled, so the notion that Jastremski might suddenly find himself dealing with questions is dubious at best. And while we’re sure Brady is a charming fellow, the idea that in a time of great stress and importance, that the hyper-focused Brady would reach out to a low-level team employee seems a bit unusual.