New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has lost a bid for a new hearing before a US appeals court on his "Deflategate" four-game suspension.
In a brief order, the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York on Wednesday said it would not reconsider its April 25 decision to reinstate Brady's suspension by the National Football League over deflated footballs.
Brady, 38, has one final option: to ask the US Supreme Court to consider his case.
Brady was suspended after the NFL discovered underinflated footballs were used in the Patriots' 45-7 playoff victory over the Indianapolis Colts in January 2015.
The win sent the Patriots to the Super Bowl, where they defeated the Seattle Seahawks, giving Brady his fourth title.
The NFL penalised Brady, twice the league's most valuable player, after a lawyer it hired to investigate the incident said the quarterback was "generally aware" two Patriots employees had conspired to deflate the balls, which could make them easier to grip. Brady has denied any involvement.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld the suspension in July 2015. The players' union then filed a lawsuit on Brady's behalf, saying Goodell had overstepped his authority.
A federal judge in New York agreed and threw out Brady's suspension, prompting the NFL to file its successful appeal with the 2nd Circuit.
