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Judge nullifies Tom Brady's DeflateGate suspension, will face Jaguars in Week 3

After months of appeals, a federal judge has nullified Tom Brady's four-game suspension by the NFL in the DeflateGate scandal -- meaning he's on to face the Jaguars at the beginning of the season.

By Ryan Day
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Tom Brady's four-game suspension from the NFL for his role in DeflateGate has been nullified by a federal judge, according to the Associated Press, and he will play against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3 of the regular season on Sunday, September 27.

With Brady's suspension lifted, the odds have gone from making the Patriots 3.5-point favorites on opening night against the Pittsburgh Steelers to 6-point favorites, according to Sporting News.

As recently as April 29, the Patriots were 11.5-point favorites against the Jaguars in Week 3. Those odds shifted towards the Jaguars when the DeflateGate appeals were announced, but I'd imagine the odds go back to 11.5 (or more) with today's announcement.

James Brady summarizes the DeflateGate timeline well. You can read more here, but below is a summary:

The case argued by Brady and the NFLPA centered on the argument that it was unfair because NFL commissioner Roger Goodell appointed himself to hear Brady's appeal under the league's personal conduct policy. The union had planned to call Goodell as a witness in the appeal. The NFL also refused to let the league's chief attorney, Jeff Pash, testify at Brady's appeal, something Judge Richard Berman seemed to take issue with over the course of the hearing this month.

Judge Berman tried to get the two sides to compromise on a settlement, rather than inject the court into the inner workings of the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players. The NFL was reportedly unwilling to agree to a reduced punishment unless Brady accepted the findings of the Wells report, which famously determined that Brady's "more probable than not" participation in the plan to deflate game balls for the AFC Championship subjected him to punishment.

The NFL still has the option to appeal Judge Berman's decision, but as of now Brady's suspension is gone.

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