Adrian Peterson Reinstatement Denied By NFL, Nike Drops Superstar Forever
Adrian Peterson has reached a plea deal, enabling the embattled running back to begin seeking reinstatement with the Minnesota Vikings. But don’t expect the Pro Bowl running back on the field anytime soon.
According to sources at Fox Sports, an attempt made by Adrian’s camp for immediate reinstatement has been rejected by the NFL, meaning Peterson will not see the field this weekend — and possibly the entire season.
“Peterson’s camp, which included the NFL Players Association, his agent Ben Dogra and his lawyer Rusty Hardin, kept the NFL informed of the progress of plea-deal discussions to let Roger Goodell and other league executives know an agreement was imminent, the sources said. Short of immediate reinstatement, Peterson’s camp hoped to at least come to an understanding on what the Minnesota Vikings running back would need to do in order to be return to the field and how quickly that could occur.”
As reported by the Inquisitr, Adrian Peterson reached a deal with prosecutors after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of reckless assault, after he was arrested earlier this season. And since Adrian was already serving time on the commissioners exempt list, many pundits speculated an immediate return to the NFL may be in the realm of possibility as well.
If that were to happen, Peterson’s teammates would welcome him back with open arms, according to a report by USA Today.
“I think everybody’s hopeful that he’ll have an opportunity to come back,” fullback Jerome Felton told USA Today Sports. “He’ll definitely have 100 percent support in the locker room.”
Support in NFL front offices however, remains to be seen. The NFL has taken quite the PR hit this year, specifically Commissioner Roger Goodell, following the Ray Rice scandal. After videotape surfaced showing Rice beating his then fiancé in an Atlantic City elevator, the public felt the punishment doled out by Goodell and the NFL was too lenient. Many feel they won’t make the same mistake twice when it comes to Adrian Peterson.
Another company that has gone about severing ties with Peterson is Nike, who announced today that it is dumping Adrian from its endorsement list forever. The news was first broke by ESPN reporter Darren Rovell via his Twitter account.
Nike, which suspended its contract with Adrian Peterson on 9/17, has now terminated the deal.
— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) November 6, 2014
What do you think? Should Adrian Peterson be allowed back into the NFL this season? Or should the league keep him out indefinitely?
[Adrian Peterson photo via Forbes]
