Deflategate: Brett Favre, John Elway speak out on Patriots punishment

Two legendary former pro quarterbacks weighed in Tuesday on the NFL’s punishment of the New England Patriots and the suspension of quarterback Tom Brady in the wake of the league’s report on the Deflategate scandal.

John Elway said he supported Commissioner Roger Goodell’s response to the report’s findings that the team used underinflated footballs for an advantage in last season’s AFC title game. Brett Favre said Brady did not cheat.

Elway, who once led the Denver Broncos on the field and is now the team’s executive vice president of football operations, said he supports NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, which in turn means he supports his decisions.

MORE: A.J. Feeley: Tom Brady, Patriots broke game-ball rules in 2004

“I think the integrity of the game is No. 1,” said the Hall of Famer. “So the commissioner obviously felt that was compromised and did what he believed he had to do.”

Elway said he feels that Goodell has done a “tremendous” job helming the league, “so I support the commissioner 100%.”

As for Brady’s suspension, Elway told the Denver Post: “I concern myself with what the Broncos are doing, and I knew Tom Brady was going to be playing in [next season’s] Week 12, so other than that, I wasn’t too concerned about it.”

The Patriots travel to Denver in Week 12.

Favre, the former Green Bay Packers star, told Fox News that while he understood the league had to take a certain stance at even the “insinuation of cheating,” he felt that Brady had done nothing wrong.

MORE: Deflategate investigator defends report

“I don’t think by any stretch, in my opinion, that Tom was cheating,” Favre said. “I don’t know if Tom can honestly say he has completed more passes because of it. I think more than anything, it helped with the grip based on conditions. And would other players do it? Sure, I have no reason to think otherwise.”

Favre also said the NFL’s decision to deprive New England of two draft picks will hurt more than the $1-million fine levied on the Patriots.

“Draft picks are hard to come by, especially good ones,” he said.

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