Tom Brady Won't Attend Deflategate Hearing in Federal Court on Wednesday

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has changed his mind about attending the latest Deflategate appeal hearing in New York City on Wednesday. The main focus of the proceedings still concerns settlement talks, as the judge is pushing for a resolution before he's forced to make a ruling.  

After initially planning to be present at the hearing, Brady decided to head back to New England due to the lack of progress on the settlement front, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today.  

Pelissero first reported Tuesday on Brady's expected appearance in court. He also noted that Brady was absent from Tuesday's practice ahead of the next round of talks between the NFL and the Players Association. ProFootballTalk tweeted that the NFL didn't announce who will attend from its side.

The Patriots star is going out of his way to attend the talks, as Judge Richard Berman previously ruled that Brady and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell didn't need to return to court for Wednesday's hearing, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.

Max Stendhal of Law360.com reported that there will be no phones allowed either in the courtroom or the overflow room and no media live feed in the press room.

Head coach Bill Belichick, who's notoriously fickle about not letting players appear in games after missing practice time, let Brady take snaps in the team's preseason opener. He completed one of four passes in limited action following the first court appearance last week.

The Patriots return to action Saturday afternoon against the New Orleans Saints. It's a tough balancing act for New England, because the Patriots want Brady to be ready in case his four-game suspension is overturned but must also prepare backup Jimmy Garoppolo in case the four-time Super Bowl champion is unavailable.

Both sides have asked Judge Berman to make a decision by Sept. 4 if the settlement talks are unsuccessful. That would allow Brady to play in Week 1 if the punishment is wiped out. He does have the option of further appeal if it's upheld, however.

Finding common ground will be difficult, with the NFL wanting Brady to admit wrongdoing in any agreement while the quarterback has continued to maintain his innocence. Wednesday's court hearing should reveal whether any progress is being made.