Teflon Tom Brady got himself a free pass when his four-game NFL suspension was overturned Thursday.

Just because Judge Richard M. Berman ruled in favor of your appeal does not mean that you are not guilty in the court of Roger Goodell and the NFL, or in the court of public opinion.

If you are not convinced this signals Vindigate for Teflon Tom — and you should not be — then you have no other conclusion to reach than:

Crime pays. In this case, the crime of cheating.

The truth is Teflon Tom lied about his balls, and virtually everyone outside New England knows it.

Teflon Tom had his cellphone destroyed, obstructed NFL justice by keeping electronic transmissions from the league during the Deflategate investigation. Judge Berman’s ruling hardly means he is innocent here. His balls were deflated in the AFC title game.

You can make the argument Teflon Tom did not deserve four games, but he deserved something other than exoneration.

Nowhere in his ruling did Judge Berman declare Teflon Tom innocent.

No, it was the NFL being guilty of not adequately finding Teflon Tom guilty.

Guilty, in Judge Berman’s courtroom, of giving Teflon Tom no specific notice he would be suspended, withholding evidence of its own, not making NFL general counsel Jeff Pash available to be questioned by Teflon Tom, among other procedural and strategic gaffes.

Guilty of abuse of power in disciplinary matters given him by the collectively bargained agreement with the players union.

Guilty of an investigation that was independent only in the eyes of Goodell’s NFL.

Balls well that ends well. But Deflategate doesn’t end well with Teflon Tom and Patriots Nation celebrating Elategate.

It ends with Teflon Tom playing quarterback for the Patriots, starting Thursday night against the Steelers when the 2015 NFL season kicks off.

It leaves us with the image of the commissioner of the NFL tripping during his backpedal trying to bat down another touchdown pass thrown by Teflon Tom, and called for pass interference by Judge Berman.

For Teflon Tom, this is a sudden-death overtime victory that probably feels every bit as good as hoisting his fourth Lombardi Trophy.

But only because Goodell and the NFL fumbled during their maniacal obsession with their everlasting stated goals of upholding the integrity of the league and protecting the shield to the point where they made Teflon Tom a sympathetic figure and target of a witch hunt in some circles.

Goodell, with the backing of most of the golden-goose owners, is determined to follow Teflon Tom to the gates of hell and continue to try to sack him, saying, “We will appeal today’s ruling in order to uphold the collectively bargained responsibility to protect the integrity of the game.”

But enough time and money has been spent, starting with the Wells Report. Enough vitriol — between the NFL and the NFLPA, between the NFL and the Patriots, forever in the cross hairs because of Spygate — has been spewed on both sides.

Goodell should leave “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing” to Vince Lombardi.

He’d rather be right than be commissioner, although with his earnings ($35 million in 2013), he might want to reconsider.

The adversarial relationship between Goodell and the union needs to end. It’s a better league when there is conciliation rather than confrontation. When the union and the Judge Bermans do not reach the verdict that Goodell’s heavy-handed brand of justice is arbitrary and unfair.

Patriots owner Bob Kraft decided to stand down and take his punishment — first- and fourth-round draft choices and a $1 million fine — for the good of the league (and the Patriots, of course), and Goodell should think twice about doing the same.

“Now we can return our focus to the game on the field,” Kraft said.

Where it belongs. With Teflon Tom throwing passes — with properly inflated balls — instead of receiving them.