(ASSOCIATED PRESS) — An NFL investigation released Wednesday concluded New England Patriots employees likely deflated footballs used in the AFC Championship and that quarterback Tom Brady was “at least generally aware” of the rules violations.
The NFL began investigating what’s now known as “Deflategate” after the Patriots defeated the Colts 45-7 on January 18. The Colts complained that several footballs were under-inflated and the NFL confirmed that 11 of the 12 footballs were under the limit. The investigation started as the Patriots were preparing for the Super Bowl – which they won two weeks later.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Troy Vincent, the league’s executive vice president of football operations, would review the 243-page report on attorney Ted Wells’ investigation and consider what steps to take next.
