Tom Brady can still play the first four games of this season without a hearing

This isn't necessarily breaking news because we know that there is a chance Tom Brady won't miss four games during the 2016 despite his suspension being upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals.

By next Monday, Brady and his legal camp will have filed a petition for a rehearing of the Deflategate case in front of the entire appellate court. Should such a hearing be granted, he can ask for a stay of his suspension, which would allow him to play for all of the 2016 season.

If the petition for a rehearing is denied, Brady will have to ask the Supreme Court to consider the case. Pro Football Talk has a pretty solid explanation of what would happen after this.

First, Brady would ask the Second Circuit for a stay of the suspension while an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is prepared and pursued. If that request is denied, Brady would present the question of whether the suspension will be stayed not to the full U.S. Supreme Court but to the lone Supreme Court justice assigned to the Second Circuit.

The decision to allow Brady to play may be up to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Justice Ginsburg was appointed in 1993 by President Bill Clinton, a Democrat. Because Democrats usually favor labor, that would seem to be good news for Brady.

Either way, all hope is not lost for Brady to be available for all of 2016.

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