With New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s appeal still being mulled over by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, league owners continue to plead with Goodell to maintain Brady’s original four-game suspension.

Not every NFL owner wants to see Brady suffer completely for his alleged involvement in the deflation of footballs prior to the AFC Championship Game, but there are certainly a small group of them who are very adamant on Brady sitting for the first four games of the 2015 NFL season.

It was not long ago Goodell stated a ruling on Brady’s appeal was “coming soon.” However, that has turned into there being “no timeline.” The reason for the delay may be due to settlement discussions between the two parties. Even though there is no evidence progress has been made towards a possible deal for Brady, it is definitely known that talks have occurred.

At this point, it makes far more sense for Goodell to reveal his findings without a settlement, with Brady receiving a minimum two-game suspension. Anything less than that would be un-Goodell-like when considering the recent punishments he has handed down to players who put the NFL in a poor light. With that said, Brady is undeniably one of the game’s brightest stars, which is why a small group of owners is concerned Goodell may go easy on him.

The biggest issue is Brady may stick to his guns if Goodell stays true to a four-game suspension. That means taking the punishment to federal court, where many legal experts believe the suspension will never hold true. Clearly, that makes Goodell’s ruling that more interesting.

There is no question the easiest route to take for the commissioner is to continue with the four-game suspension. The punishment fits the crime if Brady did indeed have knowledge of the balls being deflated. If nothing else, he maintains the hardnosed image of not allowing players to give the NFL public relations nightmares.

Michael Terrill is a Senior Writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelTerrill, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.