New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has had his four-game deflategate suspension overturned by a federal judge.
Brady was hit with the ban after it was alleged that he was aware that members of the Patriots' equipment staff had deflated footballs in their AFC championship win over the Indianapolis Colts.
The 38-year-old appealed the decision, enlisting the help of the NFL Players Association. The NFLPA described the suspension as "outrageous".
Following the failure of all parties to reach a settlement, US District Judge Richard Berman announced on Thursday that Brady's ban would be nullified.
Berman said in his ruling: "The Court finds that no player alleged or found to have had a general awareness of the inappropriate ball deflation activities of others or who allegedly schemed with others to let air out of footballs in a championship game and also had not cooperated in an ensuing investigation, reasonably could be on notice that their discipline would [or should] be the same as applied to a player who violated the NFL policy on anabolic steroids and related substances."
Berman also revealed that the NFL's failure to produce attorney Jeff Pash - who assisted in the publication of the Wells Report into the deflategate incident - during Brady's appeal for cross-examination by the NFLPA also played a part in his decision.
He added: "It is logical that he would have valuable insight into the course and outcome of the investigation and into the drafting and content of the Wells Report. It is also problematic to the Court that there was no specification by Goodell as to the ways Pash's testimony would have been 'cumulative'."
The NFL has yet to confirm whether it will appeal Berman's ruling.
Jack Prescott
