Jets' Antonio Cromartie defends Patriots' Tom Brady on ESPN

NEW YORK, Aug. 6 (UPI) -- New York Jets fans may not support the quarterback of their arch-rival, but one of their players does.

Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie jumped to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's defense Thursday, saying he was unfairly penalized for DeflateGate.

"Honestly, I don't think he should be suspended," Cromartie said on ESPN's First Take, while at Jets camp.

"(The Patriots) got fined," Cromartie told ESPN. "They got took away draft picks. The maximum fine, I think, is $25,000. In the rulebooks, there is no suspension in the rules. There's only a $25,000 fine. I don't see how you can try to lay the hammer down on someone when the rule states for itself there is no suspension, just a maximum fine of $25,000."

Cromartie could be hearing whispers from his new teammate, Darrelle Revis, who played for, and won a Super Bowl with, the Patriots last season. But Cromartie certainly wasn't afraid to target commissioner Roger Goodell, who recently stood by his ruling and denied Brady's appeal to a four-game suspension.

"Nobody is safe," Cromartie told ESPN. "No matter who you are, Roger is going to do what he's going to do. He's going to make his own rules as he goes. It shouldn't be like that."

Cromartie took a few steps back after that quote, to acknowledge that the player's union put Goodell in the position to have the ultimate say when it signed the CBA. The Jets play at New England on Oct. 25 and host the Patriots on Dec. 27.