In what many legal analysts consider a "surprise" ruling, U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman lifted New England star QB Tom Brady's four-game suspension Thursday, a slap in the face to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, whom Berman determined had gone too far in his punishment. 

The most recent episode in the "Deflategate" saga might be its last, though there's still a chance Goodell and the NFL could appeal. Berman's ruling countermanded Goodell's controversial four-game suspension of Brady and affirmed the players union's argument that the commissioner had been "unfair" and "biased" in the case. 

Berman had urged the NFL and the Brady's camp to soften the rhetoric and come to an agreement, but to no avail, forcing the judge to issue a ruling on the case. Like Brady's defenders, Berman argued that the over-the-top punishment was an overreach because of both the nature of the alleged rule infraction and the lack of hard evidence of Brady's guilt. The excessive punishment based on shaky grounds, Berman maintained, undermined the integrity of the league. 

Berman's ruling means that Brady can now expect to play in the Patriots' first game against the Pittsburgh Steelers Sept. 10. 

More background on the "scandal" from AP: 

The league brought the scandal to Berman's Manhattan courtroom immediately once Goodell upheld Brady's four-game suspension, blasting the quarterback for arranging the destruction of his cellphone and its nearly 10,000 messages just before he was interviewed for the NFL probe. The union countersued, said Brady did nothing wrong and asked the judge to nullify the suspension.

While the league investigation found it was "more probable than not" that two Patriots ball handling employees deliberately released air from Patriots game balls at January's 45-7 New England victory over the Indianapolis Colts, it cited no direct evidence that Brady knew about or authorized it.

Goodell, though, went beyond the initial investigation report, finding in late July as a result of testimony from Brady and others that the quarterback conspired with the ball handlers and tried to obstruct the league's probe, including by destroying his cellphone.

The commissioner said he concluded Brady "knew about, approved of, consented to, and provided inducements and rewards" to ensure balls were deflated.