Adrian Peterson Will Plead No Contest, Avoid Jail, Seek Reinstatement

Oct 8, 2014; Conroe, TX, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson watches as attorney Rusty Hardin (not pictured) speaks to the media outside of the Montgomery county courthouse. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2014; Conroe, TX, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson watches as attorney Rusty Hardin (not pictured) speaks to the media outside of the Montgomery county courthouse. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Adrian Peterson has been away from the Minnesota Vikings since week 2 this NFL season. With new developments in his child abuse case, he could return to the field sooner rather than later.

The Minnesota Vikings have seen Adrian Peterson go on one heck of a rollercoaster ride this season. After coming out of the gate looking strong, it took an off the field incident to derail his season. Since his child abuse case, he has been on the Commissioner’s Exempt List and not with the team. That all looks to be making a drastic change.

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Today, ESPN and and multiple other outlets are reporting that Adrian Peterson will plead no contest to a much lesser charge and will not face jail time. In reaching a plea deal, Peterson will also not stand trial in December as planned.

Instead of a felony charge, Peterson will plead no contest to one misdemeanor count of reckless assault, according to ESPN’s source.

Having spent the last seven weeks on the Commissioner’s Exempt List, he has a very strong chance to be reinstated immediately. Earlier today, the NFL Player’s Association announced they would argue on the side of Peterson.

Should the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell seek to punish Peterson under the personal conduct policy, a six game suspension would be the typical timeframe. However, Peterson could give back his seven weeks worth of game checks and would potentially be credited for time served.

With the Vikings sitting at 4-5 on the season, Minnesota also has a lot to gain by getting Peterson back into the fold. Despite Jerick McKinnon looking good thus far in his rookie season, there’s no denying Peterson would make an immediate impact returning to the field.

Minnesota is on a bye during the current week of the NFL season, and they face off against the Chicago Bears in week 11. While nothing is currently set in stone, the situation just got a lot more interesting than it was a day ago.

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