Tom Brady appeal of Deflategate suspension begins at NFL headquarters

— -- NEW YORK -- Tom Brady and representatives from the players' union are meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell at NFL headquarters Tuesday as the New England quarterback appeals his four-game suspension.

Brady was suspended by the league for his role in the use of deflated footballs in the New England Patriots' AFC Championship Game win over the Indianapolis Colts. He arrived at the NFL's Park Avenue offices Tuesday morning, as did attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who is leading Brady's defense.

A throng of media and several fans supporting Brady are standing outside the league headquarters. 

The NFL Players Association had asked Goodell to recuse himself from hearing the appeal because he could not be impartial and might be called as a witness. But Goodell said it was his responsibility to oversee the hearing to protect the integrity of the league.

Attorney Ted Wells, whose investigative findings into the deflation of Patriots footballs led to severe penalties handed down by the NFL, will be present during the hearing, league and union sources told ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

Based on the league-sanctioned Wells report, Brady was suspended and the Patriots were fined $1 million and docked a pair of draft picks.

Wells will be available to answer questions from both Brady's side and Goodell, who will ultimately decide whether the suspension will stand, be reduced or vacated, sources told ESPN.

Thursday also has been set aside for the hearing to continue, if necessary.

In a four-page letter sent to the NFL on May 14 by players' association general counsel Tom DePaso, key points of Brady's appeal were detailed.

Brady's counsel will contend that Goodell violated the collective bargaining agreement by delegating authority to executive vice president Troy Vincent to hand down Brady's punishment.

Brady's counsel also plans to argue that the penalties for Brady are "grossly inconsistent" with the league's past discipline of similar alleged conduct.

In addition, Brady's counsel will detail how the Wells report "grasps at dubious, contradictory and mischaracterized circumstantial evidence." Because of this, it will be argued that the report is a "legally inadequate basis upon which to impose unprecedented discipline."

ESPN Patriots reporter Mike Reiss and The Associated Press contributed to this report.