Breyer’s most prominent opinion was writing for the 7-2 majority that rejected a Republican-led challenge against the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The moment was notable in part because Chief Justice John Roberts was also in the majority but assigned the opinion to Breyer, raising speculation among legal pundits over whether the chief wanted to honor his colleague at the end of his long career — or was enticing him to stick around. “The question we will ask is he doing this as a gesture to let him have a big swan song in his last year?” CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin asked during a segment on Thursday. “Or is he assigning those opinions because he wants to show Justice Breyer, 'Look, you're still a valued member of this court, stay with us a few years longer.' Both of these are possibilities. I don't know which one is right.”