Roger Goodell: 'No timeline' on Tom Brady's appeal ruling

By Darren Hartwell

Still holding your breath waiting for news about Tom Brady’s appeal? Don’t exhale.

We’ve heard all sorts of conflicting reports about when Roger Goodell will rule on the New England Patriots quarterback’s four-game suspension for Deflategate. On Tuesday, though, the NFL commissioner himself shot down the possibility of nailing down a specific date.

“We are obviously being very thorough and want to make sure we consider all aspects of his appeal,” Goodell said at a fundraising luncheon in Canonsburg, Penn., via ESPN.com. “We will make a decision as quickly as possible.”

How quickly, exactly?

“There is no timeline,” Goodell added. “We want to make sure we have a fair and open process.”

Brady made his appeal to Goodell on June 23, so we’re approaching one month without a ruling from the league. The Patriots open training camp in just nine days, though, and one would have to think the commissioner would settle the issue before that starts, as ESPN’s Adam Schefterpredicted last week.

Then again, the league has proven unpredictable throughout this entire saga, and a report that Brady and the NFL Players Association will challenge any suspension in federal court suggests there may be more factors at play than meets the eye.

More from NESN.com: