SAN FRANCISCO — Robert Kraft wasn’t going to turn rogue on the league, go all Al Davis and sue the NFL for the wrongs inflicted on his team regarding Deflategate. That wouldn’t have settled anything.

But to abandon ship without an appeal?

Kraft never talked like he would surrender so easily.

But that’s exactly what he did yesterday. The Patriots owner tossed the white towel into the ring.

No mas. No more.

It was a stunning turn of events, to say the least.

After spending the past few weeks blasting away at the NFL and the Wells Report, Kraft did an about face, saying he would not appeal the league’s sanctions.

Instead of continuing the fight to reduce or eliminate the over-the-top penalties, which included a first-round draft pick next year and a $1 million fine, Kraft said he “reluctantly” accepts the punishment handed out by commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL vice president of football operations Troy Vincent.

In other words, he caved.

There has to be a reason.

Naturally, he gave one from the prepared statement he read during his press conference. Kraft said it came down to two choices: “End it, or extend it.” He said at no time should the “agenda of one team outweigh the collective good of the full 32.”

That played well to owners but did nothing for the Patriots or their loyal fans.

Let’s hope Kraft gets something in return. Let’s hope all the reported back-channel meetings and exchanges of hugs with Goodell mean that some kind of deal was brokered.

And, perhaps, Tom Brady’s four-game suspension gets wiped out, or reduced, because Kraft didn’t exactly paint himself with glory in the eyes of those fans who fervently supported him and the team throughout the entire ordeal.

Maybe there’s a quid pro quo at work with Goodell, who will preside over the Brady hearing. The interesting part is Brady might not be on board at the other end. If Goodell reduces the ban down to, say, one game through such a wink-wink arrangement, what if that’s not good enough for the Patriots quarterback, who appears as hell-bent as Kraft once was to clear his name?

What if that’s not good enough for Brady or the NFLPA, which is fighting the league on his behalf? What if legacy and reputation are more important to Brady?

Think he’ll stand down?

Now, if the suspension is completely rescinded, that might do the trick. It’s just hard seeing Goodell completely eliminating all four games.

Word is Kraft will try and talk with Brady and convince him to accept Goodell’s verdict after the appeal. Good luck with that. Naturally, even though his tune changed, Kraft claimed his opinion remained the same. He still believes there was “no hard evidence” presented in the Wells Report, that it was all circumstantial. He still feels the punishment was “unreasonable and unprecedented.”

But now, all of a sudden, he’s going to accept it because of his “respect for the commissioner,” and he believes Goodell is doing what’s right for the NFL.

Of course, this sounds all contrived. Maybe it is. Kraft likely tested the waters with his fellow owners and wasn’t exactly getting the kind of support he hoped or envisioned.

While plenty of his colleagues like and respect the Patriots owner, he’s not the first guy who’s swallowed a crazy verdict for the good of the league. Quite a few owners have been in the same boat, victims of harsh Goodell sanctions, so there’s no sympathy.

Kraft did seem to understand it was going to be hard to save face with the fans who have passionately supported him and the organization in wake of the Deflategate scandal and findings of the Wells Report. They’ve gone to the mat for him. They will feel let down.

“I know Patriots fans will be disappointed in that decision,” Kraft said. “But I hope they trust my judgment that taking this off the agenda is the best thing for the Patriots, our fans and the NFL. I hope you all can respect that.”

It is best to move on at some point, there’s no question about that. But once you’ve picked a fight and professed you’ve done nothing wrong, now you drop it before making an appeal? Something had to happen.

We’ll just have to see how it plays out.