The NFLPA is prepared to file a non-injury grievance to have Vikings running back Adrian Peterson removed from the Commissioner’s Exempt List by Tuesday if the league does not rule on the former star's status by then, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation. Peterson's legal team has been considering a court injunction as well to allow Peterson to practice and play while the NFL makes a decision on his fate.
Peterson pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault charges in a Texas court last week as part of a plea deal after facing felony child abuse charges for striking his 4-year-old son repeatedly with a tree branch.
Peterson, who has not played since Week 1, negotiated a deal with the NFL in September to be placed on the exempt list, with pay, while his case proceeded through the legal system. And, according to NFLPA sources, part of that agreement included a stipulation that any league discipline from the case would be issued quickly once the legal matter was resolved. However, NFL officials have maintained that agreement only mandated that the NFL begin a formal review under the personal conduct policy expeditiously upon the closure of his court case.
According to league sources, that review has already begun and the NFL is awaiting the receipt of materials and documents from Peterson's legal team that will help commissioner Roger Goodell make a decision about any penalties.
A source said the NFL "will move as quickly as it can" once it has all necessary matters, but the league is not adhering to any set timetable. With the Vikings on a bye, Peterson would need to be reinstated by Tuesday in order to be allowed to participate in a full week of practice. The league could opt to issue a more stringent sentence beyond the games he has missed and at a minimum, Peterson is almost certain to have to pay back a significant chunk of the salary he was paid once a suspension is issued, as suspensions are without pay.
Peterson's legal team has continued to consider taking court action if need be to get its client back on the field for Week 11, specifically a court injunction to allow him to rejoin the team while the NFL mulls further discipline, sources said. From a union perspective, under the collective bargaining agreement, its best option is a non-injury grievance, and the NFLPA is prepared to move forward with that next week as well to get him removed from the Exempt List, sources said.
