NFL commissioner Roger Goodell ended any speculation that Adrian Peterson would be returning to the field in 2014. The Minnesota Vikings running back had been sitting out ever since getting put on the exempt list following child abuse charges. There was belief after Peterson took a lesser penalty that he would be reinstated and could resume playing. However, Goodell has opted to suspend him for the remainder of the season, something Peterson will immediately appeal.
The NFL announced on Tuesday that Peterson's season was over after the league determined he violated the personal conduct policy. Peterson will forgo his salary for the season and cannot be considered for reinstatement until April 15, 2015. Goodell spoke in a letter to Peterson saying that the running back showed no remorse for the issues at hand and will now serve his punishment.
"You have shown no meaningful remorse for your conduct," Goodell said, via ESPN.com. "When indicted, you acknowledged what you did but said that you would not 'eliminate whooping my kids' and defended your conduct in numerous published text messages to the child's mother. You also said that you felt 'very confident with my actions because I know my intent.' These comments raise the serious concern that you do not fully appreciate the seriousness of your conduct, or even worse, that you may feel free to engage in similar conduct in the future."
According to the National Football Players' Association, Peterson will seek immediate appeal of the decision. The official statement released by the NFLPA stated that the NFL went against their original word and the discipline is inconsistent. With Ray Rice attempting to do the same thing, there is no telling what the official future of Peterson will look like.
The Minnesota Vikings have remained relatively quiet during this whole proceeding. The team stated that they were willing to wait for the NFL's ruling were not trying to rush things along. Several Vikings' players have spoken out in favor of Peterson saying they would welcome him back with open arms. Current starting running back Matt Asiata said that Peterson was eager to get back on the field and play.
"He can't wait to play," Asiata said, via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Thursday. "He's staying positive. He's staying on the grind and just waiting for the call to come back. . . . He's so competitive. He can't wait to come back. Being his friend and being close to him, I think so. He's a great person, and he's obviously a great football player. ... I just told him we miss him around the game, and we can't wait to get him back."
Peterson's future with the Vikings was already uncertain entering the season as the running back faced trade rumors with his high salary. Whenever his return to the field takes place, plenty of teams will be interested including the Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.