Robert Kraft: Patriots will ‘reluctantly’ accept Deflategate penalties

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced Tuesday that he would not appeal the penalties dealt to his team by the NFL in the aftermath of the Deflategate scandal.

Speaking to the media at the NFL owners meetings in San Francisco, Kraft made it clear that he still did not agree with Commissioner Roger Goodell’s decision to fine the Patriots $1 million and take away two draft picks for the team’s role in using underinflated football during the AFC championship game.

But Kraft also said “at no time should the agenda of one team” override “the good of the 32” teams in the league.

Therefore, he said, “I’m going to accept reluctantly what [Goodell] has given to us and won’t continue this dialogue and the rhetoric and won’t appeal his decision.”

In the same spirit, Kraft declined to take any questions.

During his brief address Kraft called the punishment, which includes the loss of a first-round draft pick next year and a fourth-round pick in 2017, “way over the top, unreasonable and unprecedented,” but said, “I do have respect for the commissioner.”

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has already filed an appeal of the four-game suspension he received as part of the Deflategate fallout.

Twitter: @chewkiii