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Adrian Peterson’s hearing ends, ‘anxious to start a new chapter’

By Stanford Crissey

Nov 3, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 3, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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Adrian Peterson’s future will become clear soon; Minnesota RB seems likely to move on from Vikings

The Adrian Peterson saga with the Minnesota Vikings is finally coming toward a resolution, and that resolution seems increasingly unlikely to result in a return to Minnesota for the running back.

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Peterson, the 2012 NFL MVP, was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list in September 2014 after being indicted for beating his four-year-old child with a switch. Peterson’s reinstatement meeting with the league has ended, and the league’s verdict on whether he will serve any additional punishments should be coming soon.

Peterson had his meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell Tuesday, eight days before it was originally scheduled to take place. According to NFL.com’s Judy Battista, Peterson’s meeting with Goodell was primarily about Peterson as a father, and about how he’s progressing with his league-prescribed counseling and therapy.

Prior to the hearing, Peterson expressed a desire for a fresh start. “I am anxious to start a new chapter and get on with the rest of my life.” Peterson told ESPN’s Josina Anderson, adding that he’s eager to share what he and his family went through while he was away from football last year.

Barring some unforeseen circumstance, next season should see Peterson back in the NFL. Now, whether or not he’ll be back with his old team, the Minnesota Vikings, is another story entirely.

Minnesota has Peterson, 30, under contract for three more years. But this is the NFL we’re talking about; that means almost nothing. NFL players can, generally speaking, be cut or traded at any time, regardless of their contract status, with the exception of the Ravens’ Joe Flacco, whose team will incur a penalty of approximately $1 trillion if they cut him. Anyway, the Vikings have been aloof publicly about the idea of bringing Peterson back. One day they’ll say they want him on the team next year; the next, we’re hearing reports that Vikings COO Kevin Warren is trying to keep Peterson off the field.

Almost everything out of Peterson’s camp has indicated that the running back feels it would be best to move on from the only team he has played for, and his quotes about being “anxious to start a new chapter” certainly fit into that.

The Dallas Cowboys, who play in Peterson’s home state and just lost All-Pro running back DeMarco Murray, have been the most frequent team mentioned when it comes to Peterson’s next destination. They’ve already brought in Greg Hardy this offseason, so they’re not shying away from players with baggage attached.

All things considered, it would be a surprise to see Peterson back in a Vikings uniform next season. Where he will be playing we don’t know, but we’re getting closer to drawing this saga to a close.

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