Adrian Peterson, the Minnesota Vikings all-time leading rusher and 6-time Pro Bowler had his suspension overturned by U.S. District Judge David S. Doty on Thursday. The decision overturned a season long suspension handed down by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to Peterson after a September indictment for severe discipline on his 4-year-old son. Peterson was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list and has remained there ever since.
In November, Peterson pled no-contest to a lesser charge of misdemeanor and did not serve any jail time. During the saga, Peterson has been vocal about his suspension and has been back and forth on his stance to remain a Viking and his lack of trust with the organization and appears ready for a fresh change of scenery. The Vikings can release or restructure Peterson’s contract during his stay on the exempt list but no trade of the star running back can be consummated until the NFL’s new league year begins on March 10th. In a report from NFL.com, Peterson is rumored to be wanted by the Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts and his home town Dallas Cowboys. Peterson, 29, is in the prime of his career and is currently 29th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 10,190 yards and has an outside chance at catching Hall of Famer and former Cowboy Emmitt Smith, who holds the current record of 18,355, if he remains healthy and productive.
The big story now is how the NFL Players Association and it’s President DeMaurice Smith will battle the NFL on reinstating Peterson, who under a November 2014 ruling is indefinitely suspended until at least April 15th. Smith argues that the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement has a policy for player conduct and the NFL is clearly violating it in Peterson’s case. Expect this case to rev hotter in the coming days as the new league year and free agency are a week away.
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