Adrian Peterson is open to filing a lawsuit against the NFL to get the league to reinstate him, according to a report.
Peterson has not played since being placed on the commissioner’s exempt list Sept. 16. He reached a plea deal last week concerning the child abuse charges he was facing, and he will not face any jail time. Since his legal situation has been resolved, he believes it’s time for the league to reinstate him. So does the players’ union.
The NFLPA released a statement on Monday saying they filed a grievance with the league on Peterson’s behalf. This was their statement on the matter:
“The NFLPA has filed an expedited, non-injury grievance to remove Adrian Peterson from the Commissioner’s Exempt list based on explicit language in a signed agreement dated September 18, 2014. We asked the NFL to honor the terms of that agreement last week and as of now, they have failed to respond or comply. It is our obligation to protect all players’ rights, and we will pursue any and all breaches of any contract between a player and his team or the NFL.”
Additionally, Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson says Peterson is prepared to sue the league if needed. That sounds like a threat coming from Peterson’s agent or legal representatives to force the hand of the league.
One big question is whether or not the Vikings would want their franchise icon back. Robinson heard mixed responses.
The Vikings’ front office has privately expressed support for Peterson’s return, two sources familiar with the Vikings told Yahoo Sports. However, at least one Vikings executive expressed concerns about how Peterson’s return would impact the team’s sponsorship deals, a source said.
By now, the anger and outrage towards Peterson seems to have cooled off. Would corporations pull their sponsorship deals from the Vikings if Peterson gets reinstated? I doubt it at this point.
