Goodell, Brady await 'Deflategate' decision

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady attended last-minute settlement talks between the NFL and its players union on Monday before a judge announced he would decide the dispute over deflated footballs later this week.

Everyone involved "tried quite hard" to reach a deal in the controversy that has hung over professional football since New England easily won the AFC title game in January, US District Judge Richard Berman said in federal court in Manhattan.

However, Berman said: "We did not reach a settlement. ... In some cases, it doesn't happen and this is one of those cases."