The team announced its decision shortly before 2 a.m. ET Wednesday. Peterson will be placed on the NFL’s exempt/commissioner’s permission list, which will bar him from all team activities “until the legal proceedings are resolved.” Peterson’s first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 8.
“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,” the team said in its four-paragraph statement.
“This is the best possible outcome given the circumstances,” Peterson’s agent, Ben Dogra, told The Associated Press of the Vikings’ decision. “Adrian understands the gravity of the situation and this enables him to take care of his personal situation. We fully support Adrian and he looks forward to watching his teammates and coaches being successful during his absence.”
About 30 minutes after the Vikings made their announcement, Peterson tweeted an inspirational message.
NFL sponsor Anheuser-Busch said Tuesday it was “disappointed and increasingly concerned” about the league’s discipline system.
Nike pulled all of its Peterson merchandise from the shelves in the Twin Cities. Mylan Inc. announced it had ended its association of having Peterson promote its EpiPen, used to treat allergic reactions. The Radisson hotel chain gave the Vikings the stiff-arm for holding a Peterson press conference with their signage in the background.
“Yes, Mr. Peterson is entitled to due process and should be ‘innocent until proven guilty,’” Dayton said in a written statement. “However, he is a public figure; and his actions, as described, are a public embarrassment to the Vikings organization and the state of Minnesota. Whipping a child to the extent of visible wounds, as has been alleged, should not be tolerated in our state.”
When Anheuser-Busch raises its brow; when Nike pulls back and Capitol Hill is champing at the bit with a tenuous-but-real threat of taking away the league’s tax-exempt status, league officials get uncomfortable. Perhaps that discomfort has filtered all the way from New York to Minneapolis.
Contributing: Rana L. Cash, The Associated Press
