NFL denies players' union request for Roger Goodell replacement in Tom Brady appeal

— -- The NFL has rejected a request from the NFL Players Association that commissioner Roger Goodell remove himself from Tom Brady's appeal of his four-game suspension, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The NFLPA formally made the request Tuesday, citing "a process that has contained procedural violations of our collective bargaining agreement."

The union called Goodell a "central witness in the appeal hearing," adding that he is not impartial. The NFLPA wanted a neutral party to serve as an arbitrator.

Brady was suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season for his role in the use of underinflated footballs in the AFC Championship Game.

The New England Patriots also were fined $1 million and stripped of two picks in the 2016 NFL draft. The team has said it will not appeal the penalties.