NFL

How could Tom Brady possibly expect to be punished for cheating?

Federal Judge Richard Berman had a fair point when he tossed Tom Brady’s well-earned four-game suspension: The pretty boy really did have no reason to know he could be punished for cheating and refusing to cooperate in the NFL’s investigation.

After all, back in 2007, Tom’s New England Patriots were caught illicitly filming opponents’ signals, and got off with laughable punishment ($250,000 and a draft choice).

So why would Brady expect more than a wrist-slap for having his flunkies mess with the game balls after officials certified them as legal? Or for destroying the cellphone the NFL asked to examine for evidence of how much he knew?

Hey, Tom’s a gazillionaire star married to a supermodel, not some . . . leader, or a guy who’s expected to just know you’re not supposed to cheat. Just win, baby.

None of this excuses the NFL or Commissioner Roger Goodell. When a federal judge can write, “No NFL policy or precedent notifies players that they may be disciplined (much less suspended) for general awareness of misconduct by others,” then Goodell hasn’t been earning his multimillion-dollar pay.

And if the judge is right that NFL rules require a player to get notice “he could receive a four-game suspension for . . . participation in any scheme to deflate footballs, and noncooperation with the ensuing investigation,” then the NFL’s rules are laughable.

It’s all a slap in the face to the teams and players who don’t cheat, of course, but Tom Brady gets to suit up against the Steelers next Thursday for the NFL season opener.

Nice way to showcase what the league’s all about these days.