Running back Adrian Peterson will be reinstated after a federal judge ruled in favor of the NFL Players Association on Tuesday.
Judge David Doty issued a 16-page ruling, writing that former NFL arbitrator Harold Henderson gave a ruling that was “inconsistent” with the collective bargaining agreement between the players and the league. “It is undisputed that under the previous policy, first-time offenders faced a likely maximum suspension of two games,” Doty determined, notes The Star Tribune.
Peterson was put on the Exempt/Commissioner’s Permission List on Sept. 17 and continued to be paid by the Minesotta Vikings. In November, he struck a plea deal with prosecutors, but that same month, he was officially suspended for the rest of the season.
In December, the NFLPA filed the lawsuit on Peterson’s behalf.
Doty ruled that the NFL could not retroactively apply new rules to Peterson’s case and noted that the NFL was still in the middle of the media firestorm centered on the Ray Rice situation when Henderson made his decision.
“This is a victory for the rule of law, due process and fairness,” the NFLPA 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.
As ESPN notes, the decision will likely force the Vikings to make a decision about Peterson soon, since the league’s new year officially starts on March 10. The 2012 NFL MVP reportedly asked to be traded to the Dallas Cowboys.
The decision is also the latest blow to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Rice also had his indefinite suspension overturned during the 2014 season, although no team signed him.
image courtesy of Roger Wong/INFphoto.com