Following the AFC Championship Game, Ted Wells concluded his investigation into the deflated footballs, presenting a 243-page report to the NFL and the New England Patriots. The leaked report suggests the involvement of Patriots employees in tampering with footballs, implicating quarterback Tom Brady in potential awareness of the situation. 

While the report delves into numerous aspects, it ultimately suggests that Brady was “at least generally aware” of the deliberate actions taken by two Patriots employees to alter the game balls after the referee’s examination. The report identifies Jastremski and Jim McNally, the individuals responsible for transporting the balls from the officials’ locker room to the field, as the probable culprits. However, Brady’s association with one of the accused has caused considerable curiosity amongst many.

Tom Brady tips Jastremski 

Amidst the Patriots’ matchup against the New York Jets, Tom Brady voiced his discontent with the game ball to assistant John Jastremski. He queried whether Jastremski’s responsibility was to uphold the balls’ proper pressure. The controversy revolved around claims that the ball pressure was intentionally lowered from the mandated 13.0 psi to 12.5 psi, potentially granting an unfair edge, particularly to players like Brady. However, the report revealed that Bradu had been quite generous in his dealing with Jastermski and had tipped him on multiple occasions. According to the report, “Jastremski also has received various items of value from Brady, including in the months before the AFC Championship Game.” 

Over the years, Brady has shown his appreciation for Jastremski’s efforts by occasionally providing tips and other forms of gratitude. Apart from contributing to a holiday pool organized by Patriots players, Jastremski recalls receiving an extra $1,500 tip from Brady during the 2014 holiday season, along with $500 in cash or gift cards from previous years. Additionally, Jastremski mentioned receiving two tickets to a Los Angeles Lakers game from Brady during a visit to Los Angeles some years ago. Furthermore, Brady gifted Jastremski a significant autograph around October 5, 2014, following the Patriots’ game against the Cincinnati Bengals, where Brady surpassed 50,000 career passing yards, marking him as the sixth quarterback in NFL history to achieve this milestone. However, the investigation did not end well for either the team or Brady. 

Aftermath of the ‘Deflategate’ investigation 

After the scandals unfolded, the team faced a hefty penalty of over $1 million, while Brady himself bore the brunt with a four-game suspension. Recent revelations from the book 12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady’s Fight for Redemption shed light on Brady’s potential escape from his NFL suspension by implicating two Patriots equipment staffers. Brady proposed a settlement to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, offering to pay a $1 million fine instead of serving the suspension, all while maintaining his innocence. While the offer almost swayed Goodell, he demanded that Brady publicly accuse former Patriots equipment personnel, John Jastremski and Jim McNally of deliberately tampering with footballs, irrespective of Brady’s involvement.

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Brady turned down the offer, informing NFLPA director DeMaurice Smith that he wouldn’t falsely incriminate the two individuals for something he believed they were innocent of. Following reports, Jastremski and McNally were suspended by the Patriots at the NFL’s insistence, despite initial denials from the league. Eventually, both men were reinstated, but they have since kept a low profile and refrained from public statements on the matter. In September 2015, amid Brady’s brief legal victory against the NFL, he expressed empathy for McNally and Jastremski’s uncertain statuses. “I certainly feel terrible for them that they’re not able to be with us right now,” Brady remarked at the time.