Patriots exec says team wouldn't hang Super Bowl banner if Brady was suspended

New England Patriots president Jonathan Kraft said the team wouldn't hang the banner commemorating their Super Bowl XLIX victory if quarterback Tom Brady had still been suspended for the season opener.

Brady's four-game suspension was nullified by a federal judge Thursday, making the reigning Super Bowl MVP available for the Sept. 10 clash against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Patriots executive said the team would have waited to raise the championship banner until Brady was on the field, and was clearly elated upon hearing that Brady wouldn't miss any regular-season games.

"I yelled out an expletive and then told the people on the phone, 'Goodbye,' and we started from there," Kraft said on 98.5 The Sports Hub, according to ESPN's Joe McDonald.

Kraft, the son of Patriots owner Robert, said the organization was thrilled for Brady, the longtime face of the franchise.

"He's the greatest quarterback of all time," Kraft said. "He's an amazing role model in the locker room and the classrooms here, off the field, as a father, as a husband. He's an exceptional guy, and why he was put through this - I guess Judge (Richard M.) Berman questioned that also, and I realized today was much more about the process that got him there, but Tom Brady deserved this vindication.

"More than anything, our organization is ecstatic for Tom, and he really deserves it. If you're an objective fan of the NFL you have to feel good about it, too. He's the reason people like watching this game on Sundays, and you've got to celebrate a guy like that."

Brady remains in top form at 38, and the annulment of his suspension was grounds for widespread celebration in Massachusetts.