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Tom Brady will no longer fight his four-game suspension for his alleged role in the 'Deflategate' scandal.
The New England Patriots quarterback announced on Friday that he would not appeal the ban for his apparent involvement in deflating footballs in the 2015 AFC Championship Game to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Brady wrote on his Facebook page: "I'm very grateful for the overwhelming support I've received from [Patriots owner] Mr. [Robert] Kraft, the Kraft family, coach [Bill] Belichick, my coaches and team-mates, the NFLPA, my agents, my loving family and most of all, our fans.
"It has been a challenging 18 months and I have made the difficult decision to no longer proceed with the legal process.
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"I'm going to work hard to be the best player I can be for the New England Patriots and I look forward to having the opportunity to return to the field this fall."
However, the NFLPA hinted the matter may not be completely over.
An NFLPA statement read: "After careful consideration and discussion with Tom Brady, the NFLPA will not be seeking a stay of the four-game suspension with the 2nd Circuit [Court of Appeals].
"This decision was made in the interest of certainty and planning for Tom prior to the New England Patriots season. We will continue to review all of our options and we reserve our rights to petition for cert to the Supreme Court."
Kraft later released a statement, saying: "Tom was denied his right to a fair and impartial process. The League's investigation into a football pressure matter was flawed and biased from the start.
"The penalty imposed by the NFL was unprecedented, unjust and unreasonable, especially given that no empirical or direct evidence of any kind showed Tom did anything to violate League rules prior to, during or after the 2015 AFC Championship Game.
"From day one, I have believed in Tom and given him my unwavering support in his pursuit to rightfully clear his name of any wrongdoing. That support extends throughout our organisation and has only grown more steadfast as the preponderance of scientific evidence has exonerated Tom. Unfortunately, this stopped being about air pressure a long time ago.
"His reluctant decision to stop pursuing further action and to put this situation behind him is what he feels is best for the team in preparation for this season and is fully supported by me and our entire organisation."
The suspension was reinstated by a three-judge panel of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in April. Brady filed a petition for a new hearing in May, but that appeal was denied earlier this week.
In Brady's absence, Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to start at quarterback for the Patriots against the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills. Brady is eligible to return in Week 5 against the Cleveland Browns.