On Wednesday, the Colts made several players available to the media as part of the team’s offseason program. None of the five players had anything significant to say about the #DeflateGate situation involving the Patriots, who are scheduled to visit Indy on what will be quarterback Tom Brady’s first game back -- if his four-game suspension ultimately stands.
“Tom Brady is a great quarterback, one of the all-time best,” cornerback Darius Butler told reporters in response to the question of whether Brady is a cheater. “I played with him. He’s a former teammate. I know him to be a great guy. One of the most competitive people I’ve ever played with. That’s all I’ve got to say is great things about him.”
Linebacker Trent Cole and receiver T.Y. Hilton also declined to call Brady a cheater.
“No, that’s not my perspective,” Cole said. “Our perspective is just like any other team. We know he’s a great quarterback, and he’s shown that through the years. Like I said, we’re going to treat them like any other team. We’ll prepare for them when that time comes when we do see them. We’ll see when the game is over with.”
Tight end Dwayne Allen, the team’s NFLPA representative, deflected questions regarding whether the situation undermined the integrity of the game.
“I can’t say, I can’t say,” Allen told reporters. “I believe we have a great process in place to handle those situations. Whatever they did or didn’t do will be brought to the forefront and I believe whatever judgement is passed is just. . . . As player rep for my team, we have guys that are going to help them through the appeal process. Whatever is just, will be just.”
Quarterback Matthew Hasselbeck, a member of the NFLPA Executive Committee acknowledged that the punishment for Brady was “historic” and “huge.” But Hasselbeck said the union will fight for Brady’s rights.
“As an NFLPA Executive Committee member, one thing that we’ve talked about always is that we’ll fight for the rights of every player,” Hasselbeck said. “No matter if it’s a bounty or if it’s this situation. As the NFLPA, we’re going to go out and get legal representation for whoever, always. They have the right to accept it or refuse it. I believe that they’ve done the same thing. We believe in those lawyers. We believe in those guys just that the due process is proper.”
Overall, none of the six players who spoke to reporters had anything inflammatory to say about the situation, which is a smart move given that they’ll be hosting a likely pissed-off Brady in Week Six. Then again, it would be hard for them to say anything at this point that would make Brady even more motivated with his first game back coming against the team that blew the whistle on the situation.