What's Next for Tom Brady?

Fans are wondering what's next for the quarterback following his suspension

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Monday afternoon that Tom Brady must serve his four-game suspension imposed by the NFL following the “Deflategate” scandal.

However, many are wondering what the next step is for Brady if he wants to appeal the suspension and play the first four games of the 2016 season, 3 of which take place at Gillette.

According to necn Legal Editor Randy Chapman, the next step is for Brady to petition the entire 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review the decision.

The NFL’s appeal was only reviewed by three judges and resulted in a 2-1 decision in favor of suspension.

In all cases, both sides can appeal for an "en banc" hearing.

This means Brady can move to have all 14 of the judges on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals hear the case, including the three who already heard it.

This will delay the decision further, most likely past the start of the coming season.

However, Chapman said "en banc" hearings are rarely granted.

The appeals court could deny Brady’s appeal, Chapman said, in which case Brady could appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States. But they are typically not involved in these types of cases because the do not have national social significance.

Ultimately, if Brady petitions the Second Circuit Court and the court decides to hear the case, there will be a delay that will go past the beginning of the season. Brady will still be able to play until all the appeals are concluded.

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