Appeals court reinstates Tom Brady Deflategate suspension

Tom Brady’s four-game Deflategate suspension has been reinstated by an appeals court.

Author:
SI Wire
Publish date:
Apr 25, 2016

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New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s four-game Deflategate suspension has been reinstated, a United States appeals court ruled Monday.

Brady was suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season for his alleged role in a scheme to deflate footballs before the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 18, 2015. Brady’s suspension was overturned in federal court last September and he was allowed to play the entire regular season.

In October, the NFL appealed the court’s decision, arguing commissioner Roger Goodell was within his bounds to suspend Brady based on the 2011 collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and NFLPA.

The NFLPA issued the following statement:

“The NFLPA is disappointed in the decision by the Second Circuit. We fought Roger Goodell's suspension of Tom Brady because we know he did not serve as a fair arbitor and that players rights were violated under our collective bargaining agreement. Our Union will carefully review the decision, consider all our options and continue to fight for player's rights and for the integrity for the game.”

Brady is not ready to accept the court ruling and is discussing things with his legal team, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

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In 16 games last season, Brady completed 64.4% of his passes for 4,770 yards with 36 touchdowns and seven interceptions for a 102.2 passer rating, his highest passer rating since 2011. The Patriots finished the season 12–4 and lost to the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game.

• The Most High-Profile Suspensions in American Sports History

The Most High-Profile Suspensions in American Sports History

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Draymond Green (2016)

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Tom Brady (2016)

Matt Slocum/Getty Images, Text credit: Richard Rothschild

A United States appeals court reinstated Tom Brady's four-game suspension on April 25, 2016, which the NFL originally handed down for his alleged role in a scheme to deflate footballs before the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 18, 2015.

Adrian Peterson (2014)

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Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images, Text credit: Richard Rothschild

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Forsyth County Sheriff's Office/AP, Text credit: Richard Rothschild

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V.J. Lovero for Sports Illustrated, Text credit: Richard Rothschild

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John Biever for Sports Illustrated, Text credit: Richard Rothschild

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Roger Clemens (1991)

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Neil Leifer for Sports Illustrated, Text credit: Richard Rothschild

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John G. Zimmerman/SI; Herb Scharfman/Sports Imagery/Getty Images, Text credit: Richard Rothschild

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Preston Stroup/AP, Text credit: Richard Rothschild

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Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images, Text credit: Richard Rothschild

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Jimmy Garoppolo is listed second on the Patriots’ depth chart at quarterback.