One of history’s most newsworthy sports legal controversies likely ended on Friday. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady announced on Facebook that he will not continue his federal appeal against the NFL over his four-game suspension. Put bluntly, Deflategate is likely dead.
Brady’s litigation has centered on whether NFL commissioner Roger Goodell lawfully upheld Brady’s suspension pursuant to Article 46 of the collective bargaining agreement. Four federal judges—Richard Berman, Robert Katzmann, Barrington Parker, Jr. and Denny Chin—heard oral arguments over the case. Two ruled for Brady and two for the NFL. But three of those judges are federal appeals judges, rather than district court judges like Judge Berman, and two of those federal appeals judges—Judges Parker and Chin—ruled for the NFL.