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Vikings Adrian Peterson Out Indefinitely

The Minnesota Vikings have placed Adrian Peterson on the Commissioner's exempt list.

By Tyler Duke
Hannah Foslien

Adrian Peterson won't be suiting up against the Saints on Sunday after all. Peterson was reinstated to the team on Monday and was expected to play in New Orleans. Vikings GM Rick Spielman said he believed Peterson deserved to play while the legal process played out. On Tuesday, another allegation came under spotlight as KHOU 11 News reported that Peterson had been investigated for a separate child abuse incident.

Peterson's lawyer denied these allegations, and it seemed as if he would remain with the team.  But we all know that money talks, and it talks to an extreme level in the NFL. The Radisson Hotel chain announced on Tuesday that they would be discontinuing its sponsorship of the Vikings due to the Adrian Peterson situation. Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton was the next to come down on the Vikings when he released the following statement:

It is an awful situation. Yes, Mr. Peterson is entitled to due process and should be "innocent until proven guilty." 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. Therefore, I believe the team should suspend Mr. Peterson, until the accusations of child abuse have been resolved by the criminal justice system.

However, I will not turn my back on the Vikings and their fans, as some have suggested. The Vikings belong to Minnesota - and in Minnesota. This has been the team's only home; and our citizens, including myself, have been its most dedicated fans.

To go along with it, nike stores pulled Adrian Peterson jerseys off of the shelves in the Twin cities, and Anheuser-Busch stated they were "disappointed and increasingly concerned" with the negative attention recently brought to the NFL. It became apparent these events caused some concern in the NFL and with the Vikings. The Vikings announced that Adrian Peterson would be placed on the Commissioner's exempt list around 2 AM EST on Wednesday morning.

Being on the Commissioner's exempt list means that Peterson is required to stay away from the team and handle his personal situation. The announcement came at a strange time, but it's become obvious that the NFL and NFL teams usually only react when enough negative criticism comes upon them to do something. The sponsors and the governor of Minnesota were able to prompt the action this time.

This news means the Saints won't have to deal with the best running back in the NFL on Sunday. In his three career games against the Saints, AP has accumulated 179 yards and zero touchdowns. Against teams he has faced at least two times, only the 49ers, Giants, and Redskins have held him to less yards-per-game than the Saints. That would've been a positive sign going into the game, but now the Saints will have to shift their attention to other Vikings backs. Like last week, Matt Asiata will be expected to receive most of the carries. He carried the ball 13 times for 29 yards and caught five passes for 48 yards and a touchdown last week in the blowout loss to the Patriots. Asiata can still be a productive back, and the Saints can't take him lightly like they've done a few times in years' past against backups.

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