Judge David Doty’s ruling on Thursday that the NFL could not retroactively discipline Vikings running back Adrian Peterson under the terms of the league’s new personal conduct policy was quickly hailed as a victory of “fairness” by the NFLPA.
Peterson hasn’t issued any statement of his own yet, but his father Nelson gave Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press a similar take on Doty’s ruling.
“I’m happy and blessed that the judge saw this in Adrian’s favor and I see this ruling as not only a victory for Adrian but it’s a victory for all the players in the NFL,” the elder Peterson said.
The next steps for Adrian Peterson remain on hold since the NFL can appeal Doty’s ruling, but his father said that the Vikings “hold that card” whenever the time comes to make a decision about Peterson’s future because a contract’s in place through 2017. He repeated previous comments about no doors being closed regarding a return to the Vikings and no trade demand being made, although he also said that he’s heard “rumors” of interest from the Cowboys, Cardinals and Colts in a trade for his son.
All of that will have to wait until the NFL decides what action they’ll take in response to a ruling that might have pushed Peterson closer to a departure from Minnesota.
