Tom Brady Comments on Upcoming CBA Negotiations' Impact on NFL Players

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady stated Thursday night that NFL players must take a strong stand together to fight for key issues once the next round of discussions begin on a collective bargaining agreement.  

Mike Reiss of ESPN.com passed along comments Brady, who's set to serve a controversial four-game suspension for the Deflategate scandal, made during a Westwood One radio interview with Jim Gray:

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I actually think it's a great opportunity for the players to come together and the players to recognize all the things we have negotiated, and as we negotiate hopefully a CBA extension, that we as players come together to really stand up for the things we believe in and continue to fight just as the players who fought before us.

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The report noted there's been no movement toward an agreement so far with five seasons left on the current deal, which runs through the 2020 season. The star quarterback discussed the importance of making sure all of the vital issues are brought to the table when the time comes.

"I know there will need to be great leadership from the players moving forward," Brady told Gray. "It definitely is a business. The players need to understand what's collectively bargained and put all the issues on the table to make for a better game. I think that's what all the fans would want."

He also downplayed the idea he's only speaking out because of his own suspension.

"Not just for my situation, because my situation is obviously in the past," Brady said. "But for everybody's situation in the future, I think we as players need to stand together, so collectively we can be as strong as possible, and the NFL can continue to thrive and be the great game it is."

One of the most steadfast stands players are likely to take relates directly to Brady, though. The power yielded by commissioner Roger Goodell, who holds the power to appeal his own rulings in certain disciplinary cases, has come under fire since the Deflategate situation took center stage.

Last August, NFL Players Association President Eric Winston told Mark Maske of the Washington Post that altering that system will be a top priority.

"It would be hard to imagine any new deal if there's not a change," the Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman said. "I can't imagine taking a new deal back to the players and say personal conduct isn't going to change."

Ultimately, it's unlikely the next CBA will have much of an impact on Brady. Although the future Hall of Famer continues to play at a high level, he's already 39 years old. Playing into his mid-40s to see the new agreement implemented is a long shot.

He'll be the poster boy for the cause of a new player-discipline system, though. He's urging players to stand together on the issues that really matter because they'll have a lasting impact.