Minnesota Vikings reverse field, opt to sit Adrian Peterson during legal process
By Eric Edholm
The Minnesota Vikings have responded to public and potential financial pressure on Adrian Peterson, amid charges of child abuse, and they are opting to sit him down again.
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The team released a statement early Wednesday morning saying they have changed their stance again on playing Peterson after saying Monday that he would be active this weekend against the New Orleans Saints. Now, they once more will sit him after deactivating Peterson last week against the New England Patriots.
The Vikings, namely owners Zygi and Mark Wilf, said that their decision on Monday to allow Peterson to play was theirs and theirs alone. But now it appears the NFL intervened in the process. You wonder whether it will do the same with the Carolina Panthers' Greg Hardy and the San Francisco 49ers' Ray McDonald, although the difference in the cases is that Hardy already has been convicted; McDonald is still awaiting charges, which have yet to be filed.
Peterson has been cooperating with police and since has posted bond after charges were filed and a warrant was issued for him.
Procedurally, the Vikings have placed him on the exempt/commissioner’s permission list, meaning Peterson must stay away from all team-related activities until his legal process plays out completely.
Here's the Vikings statement:
"This has been an ongoing and deliberate process since last Friday’s news. In conversations with the NFL over the last two days, the Vikings advised the League of the team’s decision to revisit the situation regarding Adrian Peterson. In response, the League informed the team of the option to place Adrian on the Exempt/Commissioner’s Permission list, which will require that Adrian remain away from all team activities while allowing him to take care of his personal situation until the legal proceedings are resolved. After giving the situation additional thought, we have decided this is the appropriate course of action for the organization and for Adrian.
"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."
This is the right decision, as it's clear Peterson has some serious hurdles to overcome and the message the team was sending by allowing him to play was the wrong one.
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