"This is going to be very hard to justify" - NFL insider not pleased with Tom Brady's role in Dolphins tampering scandal

The Miami Dolphins were recently forced to forfeit their next first-round draft pick and a third-round draft pick the following season due to their tampering. Owner Stephen Ross has been fined $1.5 million and suspended, too.

The harsh penalties stem from tampering following the NFL's investigation into the Dolphins' conduct with Tom Brady when they tried to sign him.

The Dolphins reportedly tampered in trying to sign the legendary quarterback.

The Dolphins have been excoriated for doing so, but Brady, who was also heavily involved, has gotten off scot-free. NBC Sports' Peter King slammed the seven-time Super Bowl winner, saying:

“This makes Tom Brady look bad, obviously, like it’s OK for him to play by a different set of rules because he’s Tom Brady. Maybe he knew this was coming, and that’s why he’s had one press availability in training camp, and none since this news came down Tuesday. Whenever he does speak, this is going to be very hard to justify in any way.”

The Dolphins are the biggest losers in this scenario, but they're not the only ones who did something wrong here.

King believes the NFL is drawing a hard line in the sand on tampering, which has been nonexistent until now:

"There’s a no-harm-no-foul ethos—at least that’s my sense—when it comes to pre-free-agency contact with player agents and players, and I think that’s part of this case. This is Roger Goodell drawing a line and saying, 'Tampering stops now. You’re all warned.'"

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Punishing Brady seems like the logical next step if Goodell truly wants to put an end to tampering.

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What could a punishment look like for Tom Brady over Dolphins scandal?

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If the league does decide to punish the quarterback like Peter King believes they should, then there are a few options. A suspension could be in order, though that seems less likely.

Brady did get suspended for six games for deflating footballs, but he's not even on the team he reportedly tampered with. If anything, the quarterback may end up with a two-game suspension, though more would be a surprise.

A fine is very likely. Miami owner Ross was hit with a $1.5 million penalty, which would probably be more than Brady received. This is all unprecedented, so whatever the NFL decides will determine how they punish tampering players in the future.