Judge grants motion to lift Adrian Peterson's suspension; NFL appeals ruling
A federal judge has granted the NFLPA's motion to lift the suspension of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.
"This is a victory for the rule of law, due process and fairness," NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said in a statement. "Our collective bargaining agreement has rules for implementation of the personal conduct policy and when those rules are violated, our union always stands up to protect our players' rights.
"This is yet another example why neutral arbitration is good for our players, good for the owners and good for our game."
Peterson was suspended by the NFL in November after pleading guilty to misdemeanor reckless assault of his son. The NFLPA filed a lawsuit against the NFL after Peterson's suspension was upheld, challenging the neutrality of arbitrator Harold Henderson and arguing that Peterson's punishment was handed down retroactively after changes were made to the league's personal conduct policy.
"Here, Henderson strayed beyond the issues submitted by the NFLPA and in doing so exceeded his authority," U.S. District Judge David Doty wrote in a 16-page decision.
"Moreover, Henderson's conclusion that the New Policy is consistent with the previous Policy is contradicted by the Commissioner's own statements in which he acknowledged that the New Policy included 'changes' to the Policy."
The NFL released a statement voicing its displeasure with the ruling, saying it has filed a notice of appeal.
Judge Doty’s order did not contain any determinations concerning the fairness of the appeals process under the CBA, including the commissioner’s longstanding authority to appoint a designee to act as hearing officer. Even so, we believe strongly that Judge Doty’s order is incorrect and fundamentally at odds with well-established legal precedent governing the district court’s role in reviewing arbitration decisions. As a result, we have filed a notice of appeal to have the ruling reviewed by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. In the interim, Adrian Peterson will be returned to the Commissioner Exempt List pending further proceedings by appeals officer Harold Henderson or a determination by the Eighth Circuit Court.
The Vikings issued a statement of their own at 5:45 p.m. ET:
Adrian Peterson is an important member of the Minnesota Vikings, and our focus remains on welcoming him back when he is able to rejoin our organization. Today's ruling leaves Adrian's status under the control of the NFL, the NFLPA and the legal system, and we will have no further comment at this time.
Peterson's father, Nelson Peterson, told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Tuesday that his son is open to returning to Minnesota, but has some reservations about playing for the team again.