The NFL dropped the hammer on the Patriots last week. It fined them $1 million, took away two of their draft picks (a 2016 first-rounder and a 2017 fourth-rounder), and suspended their quarterback for four games.
When asked by TheMMQB.com's Peter King if he would break NFL bylaws and take the league to court over the punishment, Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft wouldn't rule it out.
"I’m not going to comment on that at this point in time," he said. "I’m going to leave it. I won’t say."
That's something the league doesn't want. And it's something that Kraft would seemingly be reluctant to execute. Kraft has long been one of the faces of NFL ownership, and the only NFL owner to ever sue the league was former Raiders boss Al Davis.
That ESPN is reporting that the league and the Patriots are engaged in "back-channel conversations" then comes as a logical next step. If it means an appeal -- or potential litigation -- can be avoided, then it may be the best course of action for both sides.
The spring owners meetings begin in San Francisco on Tuesday, and both NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Kraft are expected to be in attendance. Talks of a resolution could continue there until an agreement is reached.
The Patriots have until midnight on Thursday night to file an appeal if that's the route that Kraft chooses.