brady deflategate
Tom Brady leaves federal court after contesting his four game suspension with the NFL on Aug. 31, 2015 in New York. Getty

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady' must serve a four-game suspension imposed by the NFL for his role in "Deflategate." Monday's ruling overturned a lower-court judge's ruling that sided in favor of the National Football League's Players Association.

A three-judge panel of Robert Katzmann, Denny Chin and Barrington Parker Jr. reinstated the suspension.

"We hold that the Commissioner properly exercised his broad discretion under the collective bargaining agreement and that his procedural rulings were properly grounded in that agreement and did not deprive Brady of fundamental fairness," the ruling read.

In September, U.S. District Judge Richard Berman nullified the suspension levied against Brady following an independent investigation by Ted Wells that connected Brady to underinflated footballs in the Patriots' victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the 2015 AFC Championship.

Brady, 37, played all 16 games of the 2015 season and finished with among the league's best passing statistics.

The Patriots begin the 2016 season with a road game against the Arizona Cardinals on "Sunday Night Football" on NBC on Sept. 11. The Patriots will then have three consecutive home games, hosting the Miami Dolphins (Sept. 18), Houston Texans (Sept. 22) and Buffalo Bills (Oct. 2).

Reuters was the first to report the court ruling.