Suddenly Tom Brady doesn’t look quite so bad.

Tuesday, reports broke that the New England Patriots quarterback had his cell phone destroyed so he didn’t have to hand it over to Ted Wells and NFL investigators. Wednesday, Brady and his camp shot back a strong rebuttal with a very different explanation that didn’t make the NFL look very good. But the NFL is adamant that Brady destroying his cellphone proves he’s guilty of hiding something.

Why? Because NFL commissioner Roger Goodell actually messed up and did the same thing eight years ago during Spygate.

Amid an ongoing investigation and speculation that maybe what New England did wasn’t *quite* the infraction the NFL made it seem to be — or worthy of the first-round draft pick the team was docked — Goodell had the tapes destroyed.

Goodell was unapologetic for doing so, and believed he did the right thing. He claimed he didn’t want the footage to get into the wrong hands.

Just like Brady.

Goodell swept his problems under the rug, but because he’s the boss, no one flinched. But Brady — armed with a reasonable explanation, proof that this is something he regularly does and further proof of extensive offers to aid the league — is clearly a guilty bad guy? C’mon, Rog.

Who’s the bad guy now?

Thumbnail photo via Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports