NEW YORK - New England Patriots were given the green light by the NFL on Wednesday to reinstate Jim McNally and John Jastremski, the suspended staffers who allegedly tampered with footballs in the "Deflate-gate" saga.
A fan holds a sign referencing "deflate-gate," the under inflation of footballs used by the Patriots during the AFC Championship game, during the New England Patriots Send-Off Rally at City Hall Plaza on January 26, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts
"Last week, the New England Patriots requested the reinstatement of both John Jastremski and Jim McNally. The Patriots have satisfied the league's requirements for reinstatement and the league has granted permission for the employees to return," the NFL said in a statement.
The Patriots suspended Jastremski, the team's equipment assistant, and McNally, the team's officials locker room attendant, after the Ted Wells investigation into whether quarterback Tom Brady and the Patriots conspired to break rules by intentionally taking air out of game balls used in the AFC Championship game.
The Ted Wells-led probe cited both men in emails, text messages and surveillance video and in one email McNally referred to himself as "the deflator".
The Patriots suspended Jastremski and McNally despite the team denying any wrongdoing.
Brady's four-game suspension by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was nullified on September 3 in federal court by US judge Richard Berman, opening the door for Brady to play for the Patriots even as the league appeals.
Despite that court victory, Patriots owner Robert Kraft has not appealed the $1 million (885,000 euros) fine and the loss of a first-round draft pick next year and a fourth-rounder in 2017 imposed by the league.