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