Roger Goodell vows appeal of Tom Brady ruling

Tom Brady was cleared to return to the field with the New England Patriots, but courtroom football will continue.

In a statement Thursday responding to the federal ruling dismissing Brady's four-game suspension, commissioner Roger Goodell said the NFL plans to pursue an appeal.

"We are grateful to Judge (Richard M.) Berman for hearing this matter but respectfully disagree with today's decision," Goodell said. "We will appeal today's ruling in order to uphold the collectively bargained responsibility to protect the integrity of the game. The commissioner's responsibility to secure the competitive fairness of our game is a paramount principle, and the league and our 32 clubs will continue to pursue a path to that end. While the legal phase of this process continues, we look forward to focusing on football and the opening of the regular season."

However, Goodell will not be in attendance at Gillette Stadium for the NFL opener between the Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers next Thursday, an NFL spokesman told FOX Sports.

Goodell "believes the focus should be on the game on the field and the festivities celebrating the Patriots' Super Bowl championship."

When Goodell gets around to appealing, he will be challenging Berman's assertion that the failure to notify players of punishment on par with violations of the NFL's anabolic steroid policy was unfair. The maximum allowable fine for equipment violations under terms of the collective bargaining agreement is $25,000.

"The decision should prove, once and for all, that our collective bargaining agreement does not grant this commissioner the authority to be unfair," NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith in a statement.

Litigious action is familiar to the NFL, which had previous high-profile decisions from Goodell overturned at various appeals levels, including the suspensions of running backs Ray Rice (domestic violence) and Adrian Peterson (child abuse) and ruling against multiple New Orleans Saints players accused in the bounty scandal.

NFLPA president Eric Winston said Thursday the victory was important, but his goal remains improving the process for punishment and appeals.

"I am happy for Tom, and it's important to remember that when one player's rights are upheld, it is a victory for all players," Winston said. "However, this whole ordeal has highlighted the need for players and owners to work together to make all policies fair and transparent for everyone in our game. I welcome an opportunity to have open and constructive dialogue with the league in the near future for how we can best accomplish that."