NFL To Review Peterson Case Under Personal Conduct Policy
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - An NFL spokesperson said Saturday the league will review the Adrian Peterson case under its personal conduct policy.
That's the same policy the NFL invoked when it suspended Ray Rice indefinitely earlier this week.
And recent changes to toughen that policy could apply to Peterson.
The Vikings made the decision to hold Peterson out of Sunday's game, but the NFL could ultimately decide to suspend Peterson much longer, if it decides he violated the league's personal conduct policy.
It was only a couple of weeks ago that the NFL announced tougher penalties for violating its personal conduct policy, setting the suspension for a first-time offender at six games.
Peterson could face that six-game suspension even though the alleged incident with his son occurred in May, before the league announced the tougher penalties.
He could also face a longer suspension or a shorter one, depending on the circumstances of the case. Each case is each reviewed on an individual basis.
The situation has had a ripple effect on the rest of the team, including a player -- not Peterson -- being cut as a result.
The Vikings activated running back Joe Banyard from the practice squad to fill the depth at the position, but since Peterson still counts against the 53-man roster -- even though he's been deactivated -- the team had to cut somebody to make room for Banyard.
On Saturday, the Vikings waived fullback Zach Line.
Matt Asiata will start at running back against the Patriots, and rookie Jerick McKinnon is expected to get a number of snaps as well.
The Vikings did not provide an update Saturday on how the legal situation will affect Peterson's status with the team beyond Sunday's game, and a team spokesman would not say if Peterson was present at the team's walkthrough practice on Saturday morning or whether or not he will be on the sidelines against the Patriots.
The team also did not provide a timetable for when Peterson's future will be addressed.