Adrian Peterson Suspended; NFL Commissioner Says Player Showed 'No Meaningful Remorse' for Beating Child
Adrian Peterson may have avoided jail time after pleading no-contest in the case of assaulting his son, but the football star may be in another legal battle with the NFL as league officially ruled this week that he will not return to the field this season.
The 29-year-old Minnesota Vikings running back made headlines last Sept. when news broke claiming that he abused his four-year-old son whom the football star struck with a stripped tree branch, resulting in severe lacerations. Although his no-contest plea left him with the ability to continue with the 2014-2015 NFL season, the league officially decided he would remain suspended without pay.
The NFL released a statement on Tuesday, making it clear that Peterson could not be considered to be reinstated back into the league before April, after he violated the league's personal conduct policy. He was reportedly notified on the same day as the public, Tuesday, that there would be stipulations that had to be followed before he could even be considered for a reinstatement in the league.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
A portion of the letter NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote to the RB was included in the NFL's public statement about Peterson's suspension.
"The timing of your potential reinstatement will be based on the results of the counseling and treatment program set forth in this decision. Under this two-step approach, the precise length of the suspension will depend on your actions," Goodell wrote to Peterson. "We are prepared to put in place a program that can help you to succeed, but no program can succeed without your genuine and continuing engagement. You must commit yourself to your counseling and rehabilitative effort, properly care for your children, and have no further violations of law or league policy."
However, Goodell also questioned Peterson's remorse in his letter.
"You have shown no meaningful remorse for your conduct. 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," Goodell wrote. "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."
Ben Dogra, Peterson's agent, said he and the NFL star would have a discussion with the NFL Players Association and file an appeal.
"We look forward to filing an immediate appeal and coming to a resolution for Adrian Peterson that would be appropriate under the circumstances," Dogra told The Associated Press.
While the Christian running back has posted Bible verses on his social media account amid accusations and criticism following the news going public, he took responsibility for his actions when speaking to the press.
"I truly regret this incident. I stand here and I take full responsibility for my actions," Peterson said after entering his plea deal two weeks ago, according to previous ESPN reports. "I love my son more than anyone of you could even imagine and I'm anxious to continue my relationship with my child."
