FOXBORO -- When the preseason game between the Patriots and Packers finished up, a 22-11 Green Bay victory, quarterbacks Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers met at midfield to share an embrace as well as a few words.
Brady, who has not met with reporters during training camp, did not make any public remarks following the game. But Rodgers did, and he used the platform to voice his support for Brady, who is currently in the middle legal dispute with the NFL over the four-game suspension he was handed for his alleged role in Deflategate.
"Tom’s a buddy and he’s going through some stuff right now," Rodgers told reporters, "and I’m sure we’ll have a resolution here pretty soon."
Rodgers added: "I’d like to see [the dispute over Brady's suspension] get figured out before the season."
Brady's night was relatively uneventful. He completed one of the four passes he threw, a 10-yard slant to receiver Brandon Gibson, and ran the offense for two series before giving way to Jimmy Garoppolo.
When Brady was announced as a starter on the video board at Gillette Stadium, he was given a big ovation. He also received a warm welcome when he stepped on the field for New England's first offensive drive.
Brady took to the turf for warmups to his typical entrance music, a song called "Public service announcement" by Jay-Z. The next song on the playlist that blared over the speakers was "You can hate me now" by Nas.
New England Patriots
Patriots players said after the game that they were uncertain as to whether or not Brady would start the game after he spent the majority of the previous two days in Manhattan. Brady and his legal team, as well as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and his party, met at a federal court house on Wednesday to continue settlement discussions with judge Richard Berman.