Tom Brady Comments on Overturned Deflategate Suspension, Season Opener and More

A day after United States District Judge Richard M. Berman overturned the NFL's four-game suspension of Tom Brady stemming from the Deflategate controversy, the New England Patriots quarterback penned a post on Facebook apologizing for the distraction.

The post, which appeared shortly before 10 p.m. ET Friday night, opened with Brady thanking the people who supported him throughout the saga, including friends, family, fans and his legal team:

While the debate surrounding Brady's suspension may simmer down following the ruling, the NFL does not plan to go quietly.

According to NFL.com's Kevin Patra, the league filed an appeal Thursday, which was formally facilitated by a statement from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell: 

"

We are grateful to Judge Berman for hearing this matter, but respectfully disagree with today's decision. We will appeal today's ruling in order to uphold the collectively bargained responsibility to protect the integrity of the game. The commissioner's responsibility to secure the competitive fairness of our game is a paramount principle, and the league and our 32 clubs will continue to pursue a path to that end. While the legal phase of this process continues, we look forward to focusing on football and the opening of the regular season.

"

However, Brady and the Patriots can rest easy knowing that a ruling regarding the appeal likely won't be handed down until after the conclusion of the 2015 season. Jeffrey Kessler, the lawyer who represented Brady, told Mike Florio on PFT Live that he "expects a ruling on the appeal of Judge Berman's Brady decision in the spring of 2016."

So for the time being, the focus will be on the field. And as Brady mentioned, a Thursday night showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers lies ahead as the Patriots get ready to kick off their title defense in front of a raucous home crowd at Gillette Stadium.

With a chance to send a message and release frustration after watching one of the league's strangest soap operas unfold, Brady should come out fired up and ready to go as he aims for ring No. 5.