What’s next for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots

FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2015, file photo, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady holds up the game ball after an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Foxborough, Mass. On Wednesday, July 13, 2016, a federal appeals court has rejected Tom Brady's attempt to get a new hearing on his suspension. Brady was asking for the full 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to hear the case. In April, a three-judge panel said that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was within his powers when he suspended the star quarterback four games for his role in a scheme to doctor the footballs used in a Jan. 18, 2015, playoff game. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

By Associated Press July 14, 2016 3 min read

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) – Tom Brady is down to his last chance, and it’s not a very good one.

If the New England Patriots quarterback is to avoid a four-game suspension in the scandal known as “Deflategate,” he will have to convince the U.S. Supreme Court to take his case. Only about 1 percent of the appeals submitted to the nation’s highest court are accepted, and they tend to be about grand constitutional issues.

Not, you know, deflated footballs.

Brady’s latest appeal was rejected on Wednesday by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which turned away his request with a one-paragraph ruling. The NFL Players Association said it was disappointed but declined to say whether it planned to appeal.

Here are some things to look for as “Deflategate” mercifully, winds down: