Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been reinstated back into the National Football League after Federal Judge David Doty overturned the indefinite suspension that the National Football League levied against him last season.
Huge news: NFLPA's motion to vacate Adrian Peterson suspension granted
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 26, 2015
This is absolutely huge news for Peterson, who will now have an opportunity to either work out a new deal with the Minnesota Vikings or find another team when the new league year starts on March 10th.
The NFL Players Association and Peterson had argued that the league was not just in suspending him for the remainder of the season back in November after he had been placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List following the team’s Week 1 outing game.
Peterson was originally slated to be reinstated in April, but that was at the discretion of commissioner Roger Goodell. With the federal judge vacating his suspension, he’s now free to rejoin the Minnesota Vikings, who are in a quandary of their own regarding the future Hall of Fame running back.
Reports have surfaced that Peterson would rather play for another team in 2015, but the Vikings aren’t willing to move him at this point.
The federal court’s decision pretty much puts an end to the entire Peterson legal situation stemming from a child abuse incident last year.
He’s now free to continue his NFL career.
Update: Some minor clarification. Judge Doty did not technically reinstate Peterson. He sent the case back to go through the collective bargaining process with the understanding that the league cannot employ the new personnel conduct policy retroactively. This likely means nothing more than a short-term delay in Peterson’s reinstatement. Doty’s opinion was clear. The NFL had no right to utilize the new policy retroactively.
Photo: USA Today