Patriots staffer tried to slip unapproved ball into AFC championship

FOXBOROUGH, Mass., Feb. 18 (UPI) -- A New England Patriots staffer is being investigated after he reportedly tried to hand a referee an unapproved ball during the AFC Championship.

Jim McNally, 48, allegedly tried to hand the referee a kicker, or "K" ball. The ball is only approved for special teams and not approved for offensive lines. The balls are marked with special indicators so officials can tell the difference.

When McNally handed the ball to the referee, he noticed the absence of the markings and also found it suspicious the staffer was handing him the ball.

The hand-off was said to have happened in the first half, according to ESPN.

The potential violation was discovered during the investigation into "Deflategate" after the Patriots were accused of cheating by altering balls during the AFC Championship.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady have repeatedly denied any involvement or knowledge of trying to alter the balls in the AFC Championship against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Deflategate investigation looked into whether the balls used in the Super Bowl were under-inflated, improving the grip for those handling the ball like the quarterback. If the unapproved ball was the only violation, the ball would not have in any way affected Brady's performance.

If the K ball was the only incident during the game, the Patriots may have their Super Bowl win left untainted.