Thursday morning Federal court judge Richard Berman overturned the NFL's four-game suspension of Tom Brady in relation to the Deflategate controversy. The suspension is therefore vacated, "effective immediately."
In written notice of his decision, Berman wrote that the vacation of the suspension came thanks to "inadequate notice" of Brady's potential discipline, denial of Brady's side the right to examine NFL legal counsel and Wells Report investigator Jeff Pash in the quarterback's initial appeal to the league and denial of access to investigative files for that original appeal heard by Commissioner Roger Goodell.
According to NFL Network the league will not seek an injunction to keep Brady from the field assuming any appeals to this decision filed by the league to higher court. Therefore, Brady is not only eligible to play immediately and will be on the field for the season opener, but it is likely he has clear sailing to play throughout the 2015 season regardless of what transpires in any future appeals.
So while the entirety of the Deflategate issue may not yet be completely played out in the courts, the questions about Brady's playing status are over. No. 12 will be under center in New England for 2015.
