Reporters asked members of the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons a number of questions about Donald Trump and Roger Goodell during Monday's media availability.

But the NFL excluded those references from transcripts they released.

Reporters were certainly curious, given the nation’s political climate and the controversy over the suspension of Tom Brady for four games as a result of the “Deflategate” scandal, in which the league said he conspired to manipulate footballs to his advantage in a conference championship game two years ago.

Brady, Bill Belichick and the Patriots’ owner, Robert K. Kraft, also happen to be friends of the president, whose actions, including his temporary ban on refugees and restrictions on immigrants from some Muslim-majority countries, have been highly controversial.

Of the transcripts provided for the interviews with 26 of the Patriots players and coaches, the word “Trump” does not appear in any of them, and the word “president” appears only in reference to team presidents, despite reporters’ having asked about them. The word “Goodell” appears once.

Brady was asked about Trump three times and Goodell four times, and he sidestepped the questions each time.

“I’m not talking politics at all,” Brady said after being asked about his relationship with the president. When asked why, he added, “I just want to focus on the positive aspects of this game and my teammates and the reasons why we’re here.”

A spokesman for the N.F.L., Brian McCarthy, said the transcripts of the one-hour media sessions, which are typically compiled by public-relations staff from the teams involved, were not intended to be a complete account of the interviews. 

The league has sanitized its Super Bowl transcripts in past years, too. Two years ago, for instance, the league’s transcript of interviews with the Seattle Seahawks’ outspoken cornerback, Richard Sherman, did not include his answers to questions about Kraft or about Goodell and his handling of the domestic violence case involving the Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice.

Matt Ryan said he spoke with Peyton Manning last week about how to prepare for Super Bowl week.

"It's one of those things -- trust what you do and trust your process," Ryan said of Manning's advice. "Handle some of the things that you need to handle that go along with this game early. Get that stuff out of the way. And I've certainly done that."

Ryan also revealed having a text message exchange with Eli Manning, who defeated Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI.

"Obviously, I've gotten to know Eli throughout the years," Ryan said. "He's a great guy. You know I think his advice was, 'You guys know yourselves and you know what you do.' At the end of the day, that's probably the best advice you can get is to trust what we do and trust our process and who we are and how we do things.

"I think we'll be ready to go."

After Kyle Shanahan's Super Bowl media night session on Monday, the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator had his backpack accidentally taken by a reporter.

"I'm stressed out right now," Shanahan said. "Somebody took my bag, and it had everything in it."

The backpack contained a copy of the Falcons' Super Bowl playbook, Super Bowl tickets and other personal effects. It was missing for approximately 45 minutes before the mystery was solved.

USA Today writer and ESPN contributor Jarrett Bell discovered that San Francisco Examiner columnist Art Spander had mistakenly picked up Shanahan's bag instead of his own.

Devonta Freeman's agent says her client should be paid "like the elite back he is."

Agent Kristin Campbell, in an interview with NFL.com, said she will press the Falcons to sign Freeman to a contract extension this offseason.

"It's time for the Falcons to pay him like the elite back he is," Campbell told NFL.com, which published a report on the interview Monday. "I expect them to make him a priority this offseason, as he's been an integral part of the dynamic offense that has gotten them to the Super Bowl."

Freeman has been selected to the Pro Bowl each of the past two seasons. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards for the second consecutive season in 2016, averaging 4.8 yards per carry and scoring 13 touchdowns.

Thomas Dimitroff was part of the winning culture established with the New England PAtriots, and Dimitroff has implemented some of those elements into success as general manager of the Atlanta Falcons.

Dimitroff discussed on Friday the influences from his days as the Patriots' director of college scouting (2003-2007). He was a part of back-to-back Super Bowl champions alongside coach Bill Belichick, whom Dimitroff has the utmost respect for from their time together.

"It's just been fun watching us develop here over the years, and there's definitely a Northeastern stamp on it in certain ways,'' Dimitroff said. "And yet we've really evolved into something that is very much the Falcons and not, obviously, the Patriots.''

Dimitroff was asked what were some of the "Patriot ways'' he brought to the Falcons.

"It's indisputable role understanding,'' Dimitroff said. "It's non-entitlement. It's the passion. It's the positivity for us here. And it's about making sure that, again, everyone does their job and stays in the line that they need to stay in, and they're putting their ego in check. And that's what we believe here. That's what [coach] Dan [Quinn] lives as well. We're very fortunate to have that.''

Kyle Shanahan built the NFL's top-scoring offense in Atlanta this season, but says the Super Bowl will bring a challenge unlike the Falcons have seen.

The New England Patriots have the league's top scoring defense, giving up only 15.6 points per game.

"That blows my mind that people would be doing that,'' Shanahan said when asked about some of the criticism of the Patriots' unit. "It's the best defense that we've seen in the NFL this year. The numbers show it. And watch the film and you see exactly why their numbers are the way they are. They are extremely tough to score against. That's why their No. 1 in the NFL. I believe only one game this year someone scored 30 points.

"They have very good players all around: players that are interchangeable that can be pass-rushers, that can be linebackers, that can be corners, that can be safeties. And they have an extremely good scheme. So, it's by far the biggest challenge we've had this year."

Arthur Blank plans to take all of the Atlanta Falcons' employees to Houston for the Super Bowl.

The team employs about 500 people.

"Football is the ultimate team sport and it goes way beyond the people you see on the field," president Rich McKay said. "It takes a lot of people to operate a successful NFL team and the staff works very, very hard all year round. Arthur loves the associates and one of our core values is 'Include Everyone.' He wants those who have helped our team reach the Super Bowl to have the chance to see the game live in Houston."

The owners of both the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos paid for all of their employees to go to the 2016 Super Bowl in Santa Clara, Calif.

Kyle Shanahan will meet with the San Francisco 49ers to discuss their head coaching vacancy for the second time on Saturday.

Dan Quinn said Shanahan is free to sit down with the 49ers this weekend despite the fact that the Atlanta Falcons are preparing to face the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Tom Brady and Matt Ryan, who will face off in Super Bowl LI, communicate regularly with each other.

"We've kind of kept in touch over the years," Brady said Monday during his weekly interview on WEEI. "I'm always sending him texts over the course of the season and vice versa. I have a lot of respect for Matt. I like him a lot as a person, as a player, as a leader."

Brady said he "always kind of followed [Ryan]" because he played at Boston College, which plays games 20 miles away from Gillette Stadium.

He also noted how the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons practiced against each other in 2010 training camp, which was Ryan's third NFL season.

"I got to see him up close and talk to him quite a bit," Brady said. "Matt is a classy guy and a great quarterback."

The New England Patriots are favored to win Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons.

The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook opened with the Patriots as 3-point favorites over the Falcons.

The Las Vegas favorite has won 32 of 50 Super Bowls.

The total was set at 58, making it the highest over/under in Super Bowl history.