Report: Adrian Peterson ‘likely’ to be reinstated next week

Adrian Peterson may still have a slight chance to suit up again before the end of the 2014 season.

Peter King of The Monday Morning Quarterback reports that Peterson is “likely” to be reinstated by league appeals officer Harold Henderson next week. While King notes that Peterson is not certain to win his appeal, the longtime SI.com writer speculates that the odds are in AP’s favor.

As you know, Peterson was suspended for the remainder of the 2014 season after he reached a plea agreement to avoid being charged with criminal child abuse.

While Henderson rarely ever sides with players over the league, there have been some unusual circumstances surrounding the handling of Peterson’s case. Earlier this week, the NFL Players Association submitted a recording of a conversation between Peterson and NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent that allegedly features Vincent telling Peterson his time served on the Commissioner’s Exempt List would count toward his punishment.

Vincent supposedly told Peterson that he would be disciplined with time served and an additional two-game suspension if he attended a disciplinary hearing with Roger Goodell on Nov. 14. AP declined to attend the hearing because he reportedly felt that there were too many “unanswered questions” about the process.

Of course, Peterson’s fate would rest in the hands of the Minnesota Vikings even if he won his appeal. The team could bring him back for the final three games of the season or simply deactivate him each week on game day.

H/T Rotoworld