Of the 11 deflated footballs used in the New England Patriots' win over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship, only one was well below the legal limit of 12.5 PSI. That one ball was a full two pounds under while the other 10 were just a tick below, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. That news counters previous reports that said officials found 11 of 12 balls deflated by two pounds of pressure or more.
New DeflateGate report reveals contradictory information about Patriots’ balls
New report says only one football was two PSI below legal limit, 10 other footballs were just a tick below.
Additionally, Rapoport reported the locker room attendant under investigation by the NFL may be “a man described as elderly.” The elderly man reportedly took two bags of 12 footballs into the restroom near the referees’ room in Gillette Stadium. He stayed in the room for 98 seconds before exiting and taking the balls to the field. There is video evidence of the man entering and exiting the bathroom, but there are no reports whether there is video inside the restroom.
Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have publicly voiced that they had no knowledge of the inflation of the game balls. Privately, they've maintained the same statements. Rapoport reported Brady told someone close to him that he works with the footballs all week, but has no idea what happens to them on game day.
The NFL hired Ted Wells to launch an investigation into the deflated balls. The investigation should take several more weeks.
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