Tom Brady did it.
The Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots quarterback defeated the NFL in his Deflategate federal court case Thursday, September 3, and will be allowed to play Week 1, when the Pats host the Pittsburgh Steelers to kick off the 2015 season on September 10.
Tom Brady beats NFL in `Deflategate' court case, judge nullifies league's 4-game suspension.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 3, 2015
The breaking news comes after U.S. District Judge Richard Berman nullified the four-game suspension against Brady, clearing the path for him to rejoin the Patriots and lead them in the pocket in their opening game. Berman announced the ruling after the NFL and players' union, which represented Brady, failed to reach a settlement of their dispute.
As big of a victory as Brady scored Thursday morning, Judge Berman's decision marks a worse blow for the NFL and especially Roger Goodell. In late July, the league's commissioner met with Brady himself, heard the quarterback's appeal and decided to stand pat on the NFL's four-game suspension against him. This ruling goes against the strong stance that Goodell was trying to take and, perhaps, the example he was trying to make of the star quarterback.
The league can still take the case to an appellate court, but a ruling could take up to a year—keeping the path of Brady playing this season fully open.
"We are grateful to Judge Berman for hearing this matter, but respectfully disagree with today's decision," Goodell said in a statement to the media. "We will appeal today's ruling in order to uphold the collectively bargained responsibility to protect the integrity of the game. The commissioner's responsibility to secure the competitive fairness of our game is a paramount principle, and the league and our 32 clubs will continue to pursue a path to that end. While the legal phase of this process continues, we look forward to focusing on football and the opening of the regular season."
Following this decision, are the Patriots the favorite this season?
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