Tom Brady Ends Deflategate Legal Appeals; Will Serve 4 Game Suspension

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady announced via Facebook on July 15th that he will not pursue any further legal appeals in the Deflategate affair and will serve his four game suspension at the beginning of the upcoming 2016 season. On July 13th, the U.S Second Court of Appeals denied Brady and the National Football Players Association’s request for another hearing in the case, leaving the U.S. Supreme Court as the last hope (and that’s assuming they’d even agree to hear the case, which is not guaranteed) if the quarterback wished to continue to fight the suspension. Brady decided it was time to end the legal process and serve the suspension.

Brady was suspended by the NFL for his role in the Patriot’s use of footballs in the 2015 AFC Championship game that were inflated at lower pressures than regulation in the 2015 AFC . Originally, he was to serve his suspension at the beginning of last season, but that was nullified by a judge. That decision was eventually overturned on appeal and the suspension was reinstated.

Brady will be suspended for the opener at Arizona followed by home games against Miami, Houston, and Buffalo. He will return October 9th for the Patriots’ game at Cleveland.

Brady played college football at Michigan from 1995-99. So since he’s suspended from the NFL, here’s a highlight reel from his college days back in the previous century: