NFL Declines Timetable On Adrian Peterson Decision

Oct 8, 2014; Conroe, TX, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson enters the Montgomery county courthouse for his arraignment. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2014; Conroe, TX, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson enters the Montgomery county courthouse for his arraignment. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Adrian Peterson will plead no contest to lesser charges today. Now the NFL must weigh in on when the Minnesota Vikings running back will return to the field.

Today, Adrian Peterson will take a mammoth step towards returning to the field for the Minnesota Vikings this season.

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In pleading no contest to a lesser charge, Peterson avoids any felony offenses and will not see jail time. Now, the NFL finds the proverbial ball in their court, but they don’t have a timeline to provide on when the situation will be dealt with.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reached out to the league looking for an answer as to when more clarity will be provided in regards to the reinstatement of Adrian Peterson.

Greg Aiello, an NFL Spokesmen told Pro Football Talk via email, “We will review the court documents. We cannot speculate on a timetable for a decision.”

Timing in handing out a decision is going to need to come swiftly, this isn’t a case that the NFL can afford to let hang in the balance. At this point, Peterson has missed eight games for the Vikings.

While he has been on the Commissioner’s Exempt List and has been paid, he has not been allowed to be with the team or compete on the field. He could argue that returning his game checks would count as time served and reinstatement should be made immediately.

Earlier today, the NFL Player’s Association noted they would argue on the side of Adrian Peterson.

Also, the NFL has to be careful with precedence in this situation.

As a first time offender, the league’s Personal Conduct Policy has timelines laid out, to overstep them would cause further problems. Ray Rice finds himself in a similar situation, in which his appeal will be focused around being punished twice for the same offense.

Look for the NFL to weigh in on AD’s fate prior to the Vikings returning to the field following their bye in week 10.

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