The outlook is suddenly looking a lot more optimistic for Tom Brady after the quarterback spent more than 10 hours at NFL headquarters on Tuesday appealing his suspension.

Brady arrived in New York on Tuesday to meet with league officials, including NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported early Wednesday that sources told him Brady presented himself as “genuine, earnest and persuasive.” One person told Schefter that Brady gave “an A+ performance” while another noted: “Tom Brady’s greatest ally today was Tom Brady.”

The New England Patriots quarterback is currently facing a four-game suspension to start the 2015 season for his alleged role in a scheme to deflate footballs the Patriots were using on offense prior to the AFC Championship Game. A league-mandated report conducted by independent investigator Ted Wells surmised based on mounting evidence between Brady and Patriots two locker room attendants that it was “more likely than not” Brady conspired with the attendants on at least that occasion and perhaps on several others to have the footballs deflated to a level that was more comfortable for the quarterback.

One of the sticking points of Wells’ investigation was a lack of cooperation from Brady, who agreed to just one interview and refused to turn over phone records. But sources told Schefter that Brady addressed every issue raised in the report head on during the 10-hour meeting.

The case for Brady’s suspension to be overturned included not only the four-time Super Bowl champion quarterback’s full cooperation, which was not available to Wells, but also a sworn affidavit from Patriots owner Robert Kraft in Brady’s defense.

In addition to Brady’s suspension, the Patriots were fined $1 million and had two draft picks taken away. Kraft did not appeal that punishment. His acceptance of that harsh punishment and his support of Brady seem to indicate that the New England owner is working with Brady and his defense team to shift blame to the Patriots.

Team Brady also argued against the science about deflated footballs that was detailed in the Wells report. The aim, ironically enough, was to poke holes in the Wells report, to prove that the evidence collected didn’t sufficiently implicate Brady’s violation of any rules, and to argue that his limited role in the incident didn’t deserve such a harsh punishment.

If the suspension isn’t overturned by the league, Brady’s team is expected to take legal action against the league, But after Tuesday’s events worked so strongly in Brady’s favor, it’s looking like that may not be a required course of action.

The hearing was initially believed to have a four-hour time limit, but went on well beyond that and those involved didn’t leave league headquarters until 8:30 p.m. ET. Brady’s defense attorney Jeffrey Kessler told reporters afterward “I think we put in a very compelling case.”

AHMAD BRADSHAW SUSPENDED

Perhaps the month-long period between mandatory minicamps should become known as suspension season, as on Tuesday, while NFL officials heard the appeal of Brady’s suspension, another league veteran was handed a suspension of his own.

Former New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts running back Ahmad Bradshaw was suspended for one game by the league after he pleaded no contest to charges of marijuana possession stemming from a February 5th traffic stop in Ohio.

Bradshaw is currently a free agent after spending the last two seasons with the Colts. Last year, the running back was enjoying a bounceback season with Indianapolis before a fractured fibula in a November game against New England cut his season short. In total, Bradshaw played in 10 games for Indianapolis and was a major part of the team’s running back committee. He carried the ball 90 times for 425 yards, caught 38 passes for 300 more yards and totaled eight touchdowns for the Colts, including six through the air as a major weapon for quarterback Andrew Luck.

The two-time Super Bowl champion with the Giants, who just turned 29 in March, has been unable to find a job after being released by Indianapolis. The Colts replaced him by signing free agent running back Frank Gore. The marijuana possession charges against Bradshaw from February and impending punishment from the league certainly haven’t helped him appeal to teams seeking a running back.

Police reports indicate that Bradshaw was initially stopped in his Cadillac on Interstate-70 in Western Ohio for following another vehicle too closely and the Ohio state trooper that pulled him over said he sensed a strong marijuana odor coming from the vehicle as he approached it. Bradshaw consented to a search and was found with a small amount of marijuana on his person. He was cited for possession and appeared in court on the charges in May. His no contest plea was seen as an admission of guilt by the league, violated the league’s substance abuse policy and therefore mandated a suspension.

One thing that won’t be holding the free agent back his the leg injury suffered late last year. His agent Drew Rosenhaus tweeted Tuesday that Bradshaw has been working out extensively and will be ready for the season. Now that his punishment is in place and his short suspension has been announced he is more likely to catch on with a team in the next few weeks and get a chance to make a roster in training camp.

CAM NEWTON VISITS FAMILIES VICTIMIZED IN CHARLESTON MASSACRE

On a more positive note, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has gone above and beyond to show his support for the victims in a shooting rampage last week that resulted in the murder of nine people at a church in Charleston, South Carolina.

Newton took time out of his month away from the game between minicamp and training camp to head to Charleston on Monday, where he met with the families of two of the victims, Tywanza Sanders and Sharonda Coleman-Singleton.

Sanders and Singleton were among the nine members of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church killed last Wednesday night while participating in a bible study when a gunman opened fire at the church.

The Panthers, who hold training camp in South Carolina, have been active in their support of the community and the church in the wake of those events. Owner Jerry Richardson recently donated $100,000 to the church. Newton made the visit, which included his attendance at Sanders’ funeral, in an effort to show his individual support and help the community heal.

“Our organization prides itself on bringing people together,” Panthers spokesman Steven Drummond told the Charlotte Observer. “Divisive symbols and actions should not stand in conflict to progress, healing and the unification of all our citizens.”