An ESPN report says that the NFL Players’ association sent a letter to the commissioner’s office on Friday, asking for the league to reinstate Minnesota Vikings’ RB Adrian Peterson, who completed his legal proceedings by agreeing to a plea deal on Nov. 4. The letter states that Peterson has fulfilled the terms he agreed to when being placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List.
While I fully expect Peterson to play again in the NFL, it will be interesting to see whether it will happen or not this season. It has been rumored that commissioner Roger Goodell will look to discipline Peterson further, in an attempt to keep the NFL’s public image as “squeaky-clean” as possible. While Peterson has fulfilled his obligations, the final say is in Goodell’s hands.
From a football standpoint, I believe the Vikings will choose to keep Peterson, and embrace him when he suits up in the purple and gold again. He’s obviously a once-in-a-generation talent, and simply cannot be replaced on the field. For the Vikings, who are currently 4-5, and are sitting in third place in the NFC North, Peterson would be a tremendous help. The team is currently starting rookie QB Teddy Bridgewater, and is still in contention for a playoff spot in the NFC. Peterson would help take pressure off of Bridgewater, and make teams have to account for the Vikings’ passing and running attacks.
A late season addition of Peterson could be the deciding factor as to whether or not the Vikings are able to make an end-of-the-season run, and secure a playoff spot. It will be interesting to see how this scenario plays out, but I think it’s safe to say that the situation will be heavily focused on by the public, which will make the NFL concentrate on making the right decision for the image of the league.
