United States District Court Judge Richard M. Berman of New York has overturned the four-game suspension imposed by the NFL on New England Quarterback Tom Brady for his involvement in the Deflategate Scandal. With the vacating of the suspension, Brady will be under center Thursday night in the opening game of the 2015 NFL Season against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tom Brady’s suspension has officially been nullified, according to Judge Berman’s filing. He will play Thursday vs #Steelers.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 3, 2015
TOM BRADY SUSPENSION OVERTURNED
The ruling is a significant victory for Brady, the Patriots and the Players Union and is a slap in the face to the NFL, specifically undermining the authority of Commissioner Roger Goodell. The full impact of this ruling will last beyond the four games that Brady is allowed to play, as it may influence future abilities of the league to enforce punishments on players.
The league will most certainly appeal the suspension, but due to the timing of today’s decision and the lengthy appeal process, there is a good chance that Brady will be able to play all 16 regular season games in 2015. If an appeal is heard and the courts side with the NFL, a new suspension will not likely take effect until the start of the 2016 season.
No matter the outcome of the appeal, today is a black eye for the NFL in terms to enforce penalties to players. On the other side, it is a big day for the New England franchise and its fans as they have the face of their franchise back on the field earlier than expected.
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