Eden Prairie, MN (SportsNetwork.com) – The Minnesota Vikings did an about-
face on Adrian Peterson and put the star running back on the NFL’s
exempt/commissioner’s permission list until his child-abuse case is resolved,
the club announced in a statement early Wednesday morning.
The move bars him from all team activities.
Peterson was deactivated by the Vikings for this past Sunday’s home opener
against New England after being indicted last week in Texas on allegations
of child abuse.
The team then reinstated Peterson on Monday, but reversed course in the wake
of new allegations of child abuse and the backlash among sponsors, fans
and the governor of Minnesota.
“After giving the situation additional thought, we have decided this is the
appropriate course of action for the organization and for Adrian,” Vikings
owners Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf said in the statement.
“We are always focused on trying to make the right decision as an
organization. We embrace our role – and the responsibilities that go with it –
as a leader in the community, as a business partner and as an organization
that can build bridges with our fans and positively impact this great region.
We appreciate and value the input we have received from our fans, our partners
and the community.
“While we were trying to make a balanced decision yesterday, after further
reflection we have concluded that this resolution is best for the Vikings and
for Adrian. We want to be clear: we have a strong stance regarding the
protection and welfare of children, and we want to be sure we get this right.
At the same time we want to express our support for Adrian and acknowledge his
seven-plus years of outstanding commitment to this organization and this
community. Adrian emphasized his desire to avoid further distraction to his
teammates and coaches while focusing on his current situation; this resolution
accomplishes these objectives as well.
“We will support Adrian during this legal and personal process, but we firmly
believe and realize this is the right decision. We hope that all of our fans
can respect the process that we have gone through to reach this final
decision.”
The NFLPA released a statement Wednesday on Peterson.
“Adrian Peterson made a decision to take a voluntary leave with pay to take
care of his personal and legal issues. The NFLPA and NFL worked with Adrian
and the Minnesota Vikings to resolve this unique situation. We support this
decision and hope the best for him and his family,” the statement said.
Peterson has been accused of using a wooden tree branch to hit his 4-year-old
son as a disciplinary measure.
Peterson, who is said to be cooperating with police over the initial incident,
also issued a statement Monday saying he is “not a child abuser” and that he
did not intend to injure his son as he “disciplined” him.
Hours after the Vikings announced their intentions to reinstate Peterson,
Houston television station KHOU reported that the mother of another of the
star running back’s children filed a report with Child Protective Services
last year alleging that he had physically abused that boy as well.
No charges were ever filed for the 2013 report, however, and Peterson’s
attorney said Monday that his client is not under investigation for that
incident.
