Tom Brady not playing in Patriots' final preseason game

Following a U.S. district court judge's ruling to nullify the four-game suspension imposed upon Tom Brady, the New England Patriots are treating their final preseason game as they normally would.

Ryan Lindley got the nod in the starting lineup for Thursday night's game against the New York Giants, while both Brady and second-team quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo were held out.

The team will save the future Hall of Famer for when the games start to count, as the Patriots are only seven days away from kicking off the 2015 regular season against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Barring a successful appeal from the NFL, Brady will no longer face any sort of punishment stemming from the "Deflategate" saga. His season-long presence under center is imperative to the Patriots' chances of defending their Super Bowl title.