N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld the four-game suspension of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, one of the league’s biggest stars, after finding that he destroyed potential evidence as the league investigated his role in the deflation of footballs to gain competitive advantage in the A.F.C. championship game in January.
The league said in a 20-page statement on Tuesday that its decision was mainly based on Brady asking an assistant to destroy a cellphone that he had used before, during and after the week of the game. The phone’s destruction, eliminating what investigators believe were 10,000 texts, was first revealed to the commissioner at Brady’s appeal hearing in June, months after league-appointed investigators requested text messages and emails.