Vikings put Adrian Peterson on exempt list

The Minnesota Vikings sent out a statement early Wednesday morning announcing that they have placed Adrian Peterson on the exempt/commissioner’s permission list, meaning the running back will be away from the team until his legal proceedings have been resolved. Yes, that means Peterson will likely be away from the team for a long time.

The Vikings initially said on Monday that Peterson would be welcomed back and preparing to play in Week 3, but many things changed after that. A report emerged later in the day that Peterson was investigated for allegedly beating another one of his sons. Sponsors like Radisson, Castrol and Anheuser-Busch then spoke out about their unhappiness with the league and team’s handling of matters, putting pressure on the Vikings to act. They finally did.

Below is the statement sent by the team:

This has been an ongoing and deliberate process since last Friday’s news. In conversations with the NFL over the last two days, the Vikings advised the League of the team’s decision to revisit the situation regarding Adrian Peterson. In response, the League informed the team of the option to place Adrian on the Exempt/Commissioner’s Permission list, which will require that Adrian remain away from all team activities while allowing him to take care of his personal situation until the legal proceedings are resolved. After giving the situation additional thought, we have decided this is the appropriate course of action for the organization and for Adrian.

We are always focused on trying to make the right decision as an organization. We embrace our role – and the responsibilities that go with it – as a leader in the community, as a business partner and as an organization that can build bridges with our fans and positively impact this great region. We appreciate and value the input we have received from our fans, our partners and the community.

While we were trying to make a balanced decision yesterday, after further reflection we have concluded that this resolution is best for the Vikings and for Adrian. We want to be clear: we have a strong stance regarding the protection and welfare of children, and we want to be sure we get this right. At the same time we want to express our support for Adrian and acknowledge his seven-plus years of outstanding commitment to this organization and this community. Adrian emphasized his desire to avoid further distraction to his teammates and coaches while focusing on his current situation; this resolution accomplishes these objectives as well.

We will support Adrian during this legal and personal process, but we firmly believe and realize this is the right decision. We hope that all of our fans can respect the process that we have gone through to reach this final decision. – Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf

There was simply too much national focus on Peterson and too much pressure on the team for them not to act. This is something they had to do despite their obvious reluctance. You know they’re not happy about having to do it, which is why they announced the news when most of the country was already in bed. And from the sounds of things, it seems like the NFL “urged” them to do this.

Shortly after the news broke, Peterson posted this message to his Twitter account: