Tom Brady Played Preseason Games Without NFL Decal on Helmet

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady played the preseason without an NFL logo decal on his helmet as he gets set to serve a four-game suspension stemming from the Deflategate scandal.

Michael Hurley of CBS Boston showcased a series of pictures showing Brady's helmet without the NFL sticker despite its presence on other Patriots helmets on Sept. 3. The quarterback also had the logo on his helmet last season.

John Breech of CBSSports.com also highlighted the possible silent protest.

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Brady addressed the decal issue on Thursday, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe:

In July, Brady confirmed he was ending his legal bid to get his suspension overturned by the court system with a statement on his official Facebook page:

"

I'm very grateful for the overwhelming support I've received from Mr. Kraft, the Kraft family, Coach Belichick, my coaches and teammates, the NFLPA, my agents, my loving family and most of all, our fans. It has been a challenging 18 months and I have made the difficult decision to no longer proceed with the legal process. I'm going to work hard to be the best player I can be for the New England Patriots and I look forward to having the opportunity to return to the field this fall.

"

The 39-year-old four-time Super Bowl champion missed the team's first two preseason games because of a death in the family and a scissors accident. He returned to play the final two contests, throwing a total of 35 passes against the Carolina Panthers and New York Giants.

League spokesman Brian McCarthy previously told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk players weren't allowed to remove the American flag decal from their helmet in response to a question about Kaepernick's ongoing protest. The NFL logo likely falls into the same category.

The CBS report suggested Brady could be fined for a uniform violation. The NFL Operations chart shows the first offense would be $6,076 and a second offense costs $12,154.

Brady is scheduled to return from his suspension Oct. 9 when the Patriots take on the Cleveland Browns.