Robert Kraft hopes decision not to appeal punishment helps Tom Brady

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft hopes his decision not to appeal his team's punishment for the Deflategate controversy will help Tom Brady's appeal of his four-game suspension.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft hopes his decision not to appeal his team's punishment for the Deflategate controversy will help Tom Brady's appeal of his four-game suspension, he told Larry King. 

Spoke to Robert Kraft today. The @Patriots owner said he won't challenge the NFL over penalties & hopes that may somehow benefit Tom Brady.

— Larry King (@kingsthings) May 23, 2015

Kraft announced on Tuesday that he will not appeal the sanctions levied against his franchise by the NFL. 

The Patriots were fined $1 million and docked two draft picks—a 2016 first-round pick and a fourth-round pick in 2017. Quarterback Tom Brady was suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season and has already filed an appeal of the suspension. NFLPA spokesman George Atallah said the Patriots' decision "will not impact" Brady's appeal.

• SI's complete coverage of Deflategate

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is set to hear Brady's appeal after the NFL reportedly rejected the players association's request to have Goodell recuse himself from the proceedings. The union wanted Goodell to appoint a neutral party to hear the appeal because it was Goodell who decided the original punishment.

- Dan Gartland