NFL to appeal lifting of Tom Brady suspension in March
Monday 23 November 2015 20:20, UK
The NFL's appeal against the lifting of Tom Brady's four-game 'Deflategate' suspension will not be held until after Super Bowl 50.
New York's federal appeals court confirmed on Monday that a date had been set for March 3, just under a month after the 2015-16 season concludes at Levi's Stadium, the new home of the San Francisco 49ers.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Brady for four games for his alleged role in a scheme to lower the air pressure in footballs used in the Patriots' 45-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in January's AFC championship game.
The Patriots went on to win Super Bowl XLIX but Brady was due to miss the first four games of this season before winning a court ruling against the sanction in Spetember.
Brady has been one of the season's stars so far, leading the Patriots to a 9-0 record heading into the Monday Night Football clash with the Buffalo Bills.
He has thrown 24 touchdown passes nine games, compared to only three interceptions, and he leads all quarterbacks in QB rating on 111.1.
