It appears as though Tom Brady won't be serving any kind of suspension for Deflategate this season.
The NFL and NFLPA had requested that the league's appeal of the decision to vacate Brady's four-game suspension be expedited, and a federal appeals court granted that request in a decision filed Tuesday.
Because of the timing of the steps of the appeal, it's relatively certain that Brady will be allowed to play the entire regular season and postseason without having to serve any kind of suspension.
The appeals court ordered the NFL to file its opening brief by Oct. 26 and for Brady's side to respond by Dec. 7. A reply will then be filed by the league by Dec. 21, and the appeal itself could be heard as early as Feb. 1.
Super Bowl 50 is scheduled for Feb. 7, but Brady will not be required to attend. Brady's lawyers, the league's lawyers and the three judges slated to hear the appeal will be the major players in the process.
Brady's four-game suspension was vacated by district court judge Richard Berman on Sep. 3, a week before the start of the regular season. In response, the NFL quickly appealed Berman's decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals.
The latest development in the case runs counter to a report last week, via an NFL source, that stated Brady would "no doubt" serve a suspension at some point this season for Deflategate.