Reports: Tom Brady planning to attend Wednesday court hearing

ByABC News
August 18, 2015, 1:12 PM

— -- Tom Brady plans to attend a court hearing Wednesday in New York as part of his attempt to overturn his four-game suspension, according to multiple reports.

Brady was not at the Patriots' practice Tuesday in Foxborough and reportedly will not practice Wednesday in West Virginia, where the reigning Super Bowl champions are holding joint workouts with the Saints.

Judge Richard Berman has ruled that neither Brady nor NFL commissioner Roger Goodell must attend Wednesday's hearing.

But according to reports, the star quarterback will be back in Manhattan for the second straight week.

The NFL is declining to identify who from the league will attend Wednesday's hearing, a source told ESPN. USA Today Sports first reported Brady's plans to attend.

Berman repeatedly has instructed Brady, the NFL and the players' union to attempt to reach a settlement and to tone down rhetoric in the case. Both Brady and Goodell appeared in Berman's court last Wednesday, although little progress was made.

Brady's attorneys filed documents on Friday in U.S. District Court, alleging a smear campaign against the two-time NFL MVP and reiterating their claims of unfair treatment by Goodell and the league.

Brady is seeking to overturn the suspension for his role in the use of deflated footballs in the AFC Championship Game. Goodell upheld the suspension on July 29 when Brady appealed, prompting Brady to file suit in federal court.

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