Adrian Peterson Expected To Reinstated By December, Insiders Claim
Adrian Peterson could be back in the NFL before the end of 2014, reports indicate.
The Minnesota Vikings running back was suspended indefinitely after being charged with felony child abuse. Reports indicate that Peterson cut a deal that would keep him on the Commissioner’s Exempt list until his court case came to a close, but when Peterson accepted a plea deal, he remained out.
The NFL Players’ Association is now stepping in, calling on the NFL to re-instate Adrian Peterson.
The bid may have worked, NFL.com writer Ian Rapoport reported.
Rapoport noted that the NFL was close to a deal that would allow Peterson to come back by the end of the year, giving him credit for the time he served on suspension through the middle of this year.
The league will likely consider a combination of time served and loss of pay with regards to Adrian Peterson. Expect a December return.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 9, 2014
If Peterson does not return, the NFL Players Association has other angles it can take. The organization could file a non-injury grievance to have Peterson reinstated immediately.
But as Eric Edholm of Yahoo’s Shutdown Corner notes, the case is uncharted territory.
“If the league drags its feet on the matter, the NFLPA could file an expedited non-injury grievance to have Peterson reinstated immediately. The NFL reportedly wants a series of stipulations met — including evidence from the court case, an independent review of court documents, a recommendation on discipline and a meeting with Goodell — before it rules on Peterson’s status. That could end up being a new precedent for Goodell’s newly adopted personal conduct policy in regard to domestic abuse.”
If Adrian Peterson is re-instated by the NFL, he would still have to be activated by the Minnesota Vikings. With the team falling out of playoff contention and a possible controversy if Peterson were to play, that’s not a given.
