Walsh, who must certify to the league in writing that he has turned over all such materials, may retain a single copy of whatever he delivers to the league.
In exchange for Walsh's cooperation, the league agreed to provide Walsh with legal indemnification, protecting him against future legal claims and damages and agreeing to pay for pursuant legal and travel costs, and also promised that neither the NFL nor the Patriots would sue him.
"I am pleased that we now have an agreement that provides Mr. Walsh with appropriate legal protections," said his attorney, Michael N. Levy of the Washington, D.C.-based firm McKee Nelson. "Mr. Walsh is looking forward to providing the NFL with the materials he has and telling the NFL what he knows."
What Walsh knows has hung over the NFL and the Patriots since media reports began to surface earlier this year that he had additional information about the team's taping practices. Walsh's intimations extended the "Spygate" saga, which began Sept. 9, when the Patriots were caught illegally videotaping the defensive signals of the New York Jets at Giants Stadium in the season opener.
The NFL responded swiftly, punishing the Patriots in a Sept. 13 ruling by Goodell that fined the team $250,000, head coach Bill Belichick $500,000 - the maximum allowed under the league's constitution and bylaws - and docking the team a first-round draft pick (No. 31 overall) in Saturday's draft. The league also demanded the Patriots turn over all tapes and notes related to their practice of filming other teams' signals, which was revealed to date to Belichick's arrival as coach in 2000.
The league said the penalty was for the totality of the team's actions, but that Goodell reserved the right to revisit the penalty if additional information came to light.
On Feb. 2, the day before the Patriots' 17-14 upset loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII, the Boston Herald, citing an unnamed source, reported the Patriots had taped the St. Louis Rams' walkthrough prior to New England's 20-17 upset in Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002.
