Adrian Peterson did not appear at his previously agreed-upon disciplinary hearing with the NFL http://t.co/yqGhYI7t8p pic.twitter.com/QSMffNvSSk
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 15, 2014
Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson was a no show at a disciplinary hearing Friday and will be a no show at Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears. Peterson was scheduled to appear Friday at a National Football League hearing, but he “declined to appear,” ESPN reports.
Vikings RB Adrian Peterson declined to appear Friday at a scheduled disciplinary hearing with NFL despite… http://t.co/ePwKPhRryn
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 15, 2014
Peterson has been playing hard to get. Both Peterson and the NFL Players Association said they were unavailable to meet over the past week, according to ESPN. The hearing was then re-scheduled for Friday. It would have focused on whether the NFL would discipline Peterson after he resolved the criminal case against him, ESPN said.
Peterson pleaded no contest in Texas nearly two weeks ago to a misdemeanor charge of recklessly injuring one of his children, a 4-year-old boy, with a switch.
“We had hoped that Adrian would take advantage of his opportunity to be heard and present whatever information he believes should be considered before a decision on discipline, counseling and services is made. Because he and the NFLPA elected not to do so, we will have to address this based on the information currently available to us,” a league official told ESPN.
Peterson’s lawyer wrote the NFL that it is against Texas law to hand over those court documents.
“The League office seems more focused on creating an arbitrary disciplinary process for Adrian instead of honoring a signed agreement to remove him from the Commissioner’s list. They are simply making stuff up as they go along. They should commit their efforts to meeting us at the table to collectively bargain a new personal conduct policy,” an NFLPA spokesperson said in an email.
ESPN’s Ben Goessling says it appears Peterson’s case is becoming a battle between the NFL and the player’s union – and if that’s the case, it is unlikely he’ll be back on the field any time soon.
League officials and Peterson also have a Monday afternoon meeting via conference call with a mediator, which concerns whether Peterson should be reinstated while the league determines final discipline.
Peterson has missed nine games already, but he’s still getting paid. He cannot go back on the field until he’s cleared these two hurdles with the NFL.
