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Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson reinstated by NFL

By Patrick Schmidt

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 /
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Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been reinstated by the NFL.

Adrian Peterson has been reinstated by the NFL effective April 17 as an active NFL player after he was suspended on Nov. 18 without pay for the rest of the season stemming from abuse stemming from disciplining his four-year old son.

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Peterson was on the commissioner’s exempt list after the team’s regular season opener and missed the rest of the season as his legal troubles were resolved. He pled no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless assault in November 4.

He was ordered to complete 80 hours of community service, pay a $4,000 fine and was put on probation but didn’t serve any jail time. He was indicted by a grand jury in the state of Texas in September on felony charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child after hitting his son with a switch.

Peterson maintained he was disciplining his four-year old son in the same way that he was disciplined as a child, but pressure from the Vikings sponsors and the NFL facing a crisis with domestic violence cases from Greg hardy and Ray Rice, the Vikings put him on the exempt list shortly after they reinstated him.

More from the press release from the NFL on the reinstatement of Peterson:

"“In a letter from Commissioner Roger Goodell, Peterson was informed that he is expected to fulfill his remaining obligations to the authorities in Minnesota and Texas, as well as the additional commitments Peterson made during his April 7 meeting with the commissioner regarding maintaining an ongoing program of counseling and treatment as recommended by medical advisors.Beyond the requirement to comply with his court obligations and plan of counseling, Peterson was reminded that his continuing participation in the NFL depends on his avoidance of any further conduct that violates the Personal Conduct Policy or other NFL policies.Any further violation of the Personal Conduct Policy by Peterson would result in additional discipline, which could include suspension without pay or banishment from the NFL.”"

Meanwhile, Peterson and his future in Minnesota is very much in question after months of rumors that he doesn’t want to play for the Vikings ever again and he’s looking for a fresh start elsewhere.

Whether that fresh start comes with the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals or any other of the 31 other NFL teams in the league, what the Vikings do with Peterson is the biggest storyline in the offseason.

Where do you think he’ll be playing in 2015?

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