The likelihood that the Buffalo Bills will see Tom Brady in Week 4 continues to nosedive. The latest Hail Mary appeal from the quarterback was denied this morning, meaning he’ll need the Supreme Court to step in between now and September for the suspension to be overturned.
2nd circuit denied Tom Brady's request for rehearing this morning. Appears the 4 game suspension will stick.
— daniel kaplan (@dkaplanSBJ) July 13, 2016
An image of the Second Circuit's denial of Tom Brady's petition is very brief but very to the point: pic.twitter.com/T29Y1O8LIp
— Michael McCann (@McCannSportsLaw) July 13, 2016
Brady was initially suspended for the beginning of the 2015 season for underinflating/deflating balls during the AFC playoffs in January of 2015. His suspension was overturned in court and he played the entire 2015 season with the looming suspension tied up in legal proceedings. In April of 2016, the ruling was reinstated and his suspension was put back in place.
Today’s ruling doesn’t say Goodell’s punishment was fair, just that he had the power to do it. It also makes it incredibly likely the Bills will face backup Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 4. Garoppolo has thrown 31 NFL passes in his career including going 1-of-4 for 6 yards in 2015. Bill Belichick and the Patriots will have several months to let their backup settle into the role and design a game plan, but Rex Ryan and his staff are sure to have something up their sleeve for the inexperienced QB.