Matt Leinart seems to know a thing or two about tampering with footballs. (USATSI)
Matt Leinart seems to know a thing or two about tampering with footballs. (USATSI)

Maybe deflategate isn't a big deal after all.

According to former Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart, the latest scandal involving the Patriots is "ridiculous" because New England was doing something that every other team does. 

Leinart would probably know too, since he spent at least some time with one-eighth of the teams in the NFL (Arizona, Oakland, Houston, Buffalo). 

That wasn't the end of Leinart's tweeting though. After his first tweet, Leinart was quick to point out that there was at least one quarterback who didn't partake in tampering. 

Sure Matt. 

Anyway, Leinart's tampering tweet echoes what at least one former NFL quarterback told CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora this week.

Former NFL MVP Rich Gannon told La Canfora that quarterbacks are always doing something to the ball. 

"Ask any quarterback, and this is a non-issue," Gannon said. "Everybody does something, to them. It's like a pitcher, he wants the ball a certain way."

It's not just quarterbacks defending the Patriots either. Panthers kicker Graham Gano described a situation in November where several footballs became deflated even though he didn't tamper with them.

Gano wasn't implying that the Patriots were cheating or weren't cheating, he was saying that balls can become deflated even if they're not tampered with, something NFL coaches seem well aware of. 

The coaches attending the Senior Bowl don't seem outraged by deflategate. 

Does deflategate matter?

It will if the NFL feels that the Patriots were trying to gain a competitive advantage.

For more on deflategate and what New England's punishment might be, you can head here.