The Sports Xchange

Tom Brady’s four-game suspension for his role in “Deflategate” was upheld by National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday.

After weeks of conjecture that the league and the NFL Players Association were working on a settlement following the June 23 appeal hearing, Goodell issued a strong statement Tuesday in upholding the suspension for Brady’s role in using underinflated footballs during the AFC championship Game last season.

The NFL filed suit Tuesday in Manhattan to confirm Brady’s suspension. The prompt action is considered an attempt to keep the case out of the hands of a federal arbiter.

The league’s statement Tuesday referenced “new information” disclosed by Brady and his representatives that includes Brady directing that his cell phone used for the four months leading up to his meeting with independent investigator Ted Wells’ team on March 6 be destroyed.

Brady’s agent, Don Yee, criticized the NFL’s decision.

—The NFL Players Association criticized in strong terms the decision by commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday to uphold the four-game suspension of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in the “Deflategate” case.

The NFLPA called the ruling “outrageous” and added that league sank to a “new low” with its handling of the case while vowing to appeal on Brady’s behalf.

“The fact that the NFL would resort to basing a suspension on a smoke screen of irrelevant text messages instead of admitting that they have all of the phone records they asked for is a new low, even for them, but it does nothing to correct their errors,” the statement read. “The NFLPA will appeal this outrageous decision on behalf of Tom Brady.”

—Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay denied reports claiming he and Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti were “pressuring” commissioner Roger Goodell to hold firm on a four-game suspension for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

Brady appealed a four-game suspension for his role, and non-compliance in the NFL’s investigation, into the deflation of game balls in the AFC Championship Game. The Patriots beat the Colts in that game, one week after dispatching the Ravens.

“That’s not true at all,” Irsay told the Indianapolis Star. “I haven’t talked to Roger Goodell about Deflategate since late January. Not true. That’s not the way things work involving someone else’s business and someone else’s team. It’s not something I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been around (NFL) ownership for half a century.”

—Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell had his three-game suspension reduced to two games after a settlement agreement between the NFL Players Union and NFL.

The two sides were negotiating as the Steelers opened training camp in Latrobe, Pa., on Sunday.

“As I have stated before, we were disappointed in Le’Veon Bell’s actions last August,” Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said.

Bell, who will return in Week 3 against the St. Louis Rams, was suspended three games for a DUI arrest during which he admitted to smoking marijuana.

—The Cincinnati Bengals released wide receiver James Wright and announced a series of moves involving injured players.

Linebackers Vontaze Burfict and Sean Porter and defensive end Margus Hunt wre placed on the active/physically unable to perform list before training camp begins and rookie offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi was assigned to the active/non-football injury list.

Burfict, Porter, Hunt and Ogbuehi are allowed to be activated and practice as soon as they receive medical clearance.

—The San Francisco 49ers placed offensive Trent Brown, running back Carlos Hyde, linebacker Aaron Lynch and wide received DeAndre Smelter on the active/non-football injury list and guard-center Daniel Kilgore on the active/physically unable to perform list Tuesday.

Hyde missed most of the offseason workouts with a calf injury. Kilgore, the starting center last season, suffered a fractured lower leg last year but was expected to be ready for the start of camp. Smelter, a fourth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, is recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee sustained during the 2014 college season.

Hyde, Brown and Lynch are not projected to miss much practice time. The 49ers’ first full-squad practice is Saturday.

—Defensive lineman David Carter signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears, who waived linebacker Jonathan Brown and signed wide receiver Alexander (AJ) Cruz to a three-year contract.

Carter has four starts in 35 career NFL games with the Arizona Cardinals (2011-12) and Dallas Cowboys (2013). Carter, who was originally selected in the sixth round (184th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Cardinals, also spent time with the Raiders and Jaguars during the 2014 offseason.

Cruz spent the past two two seasons in the AFL with the LA Kiss (2014) and Arizona Rattlers (2015). In 2015, Cruz had 51 kickoff returns for 1,221 yards (23.9-yard average) and six touchdowns in 12 games. He has added 27 receptions for 220 yards (8.1-yard average) and five touchdowns and 11 rushes for 46 yards (4.2-yard average) and three touchdowns.

—St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley lived up to his promise of three months ago and will begin training camp on the active roster.

The 10th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Gurley is recovering from reconstructive knee surgery, the result of an on-field injury in November while a the University of Georgia.

Gurley told The Sports Xchange in April that training camp was “a realistic goal” despite suggestions that he would be safeguarded by the Rams for the summer — and perhaps beyond — until all sides were sure he was healthy and not risking additional injury.

—Jake Long visited the Atlanta Falcons and took what is likely a crucial physical with the team on Tuesday.

Long, the No. 1 overall pick in 2008 with the Miami Dolphins, was released by the St. Louis Rams and is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

The Falcons have 2014 first-rounder Jake Matthews slated to start at left tackle. Long has only played left tackle in the NFL with the Dolphins and Rams but would be a fit on the right side if he proves healthy.

—If Ray Rice gets a second chance in the NFL this season, it will not be with the Dallas Cowboys.

According to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Rice is not being considered by the Cowboys to fill the roster spot and depth chart void created Tuesday when Ryan Williams was released after yet another knee procedure.

The Cowboys signed former Stephen F. Austin running back Gus Johnson to fill the roster spot. They have been in contact with representatives for free agent Chris Johnson, who is recovered from a gunshot wound, but are expected to evaluate their current stable of backs before making any additional moves.

—The Miami Dolphins re-signed quarterback Josh Freeman only days after releasing him.

Freeman is back on the roster to compete with Matt Moore and McLeod Bethel-Thompson behind starter Ryan Tannehill.

Freeman, 27, was a first-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2009 and started 59 games for them over his first five seasons.

—The Pro Football Hall of Fame told the daughter of Junior Seau that she would be allowed to speak at his posthumous induction in Canton, Ohio, according to the family attorney.

A policy established in 2010 by the Hall of Fame limits the ceremony for deceased inductees to a video tribute. All living inductees are introduced by a friend, family member, teammate or associate.

Steve Strauss, the Seau family attorney, told Sports Business Journal that the Hall of Fame reversed field on having Sydney Seau, the daughter of the late Chargers, Dolphins and Patriots linebacker, speak at the induction ceremony.