Players' union and NFL at odds over Adrian Peterson

[November 11, 2014]  By Steve Ginsburg
 
 (Reuters) - The NFL players' union filed a grievance against the league on Monday seeking to immediately reinstate the Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Peterson, who pleaded guilty in a child abuse case, but the NFL said it still planned to review the case for possible discipline.

The NFL Players Association said an agreement with the league in September called for the running back to be removed from the commissioner's exempt list once his case was settled.

The NFLPA filed a "filed an expedited, non-injury grievance" to get Peterson off the exempt list and back on the field.

"We asked the NFL to honor the terms of that agreement last week and as of now, they have failed to respond or comply," the NFLPA said in a statement.

"It is our obligation to protect all players’ rights, and we will pursue any and all breaches of any contract between a player and his team or the NFL."

Peterson, a former National Football League Most Valuable Player, pleaded no contest last Tuesday in a Conroe, Texas, court to a misdemeanor charge of reckless assault for hitting his 4-year-old son in May with a switch, a thin tree branch.

He was initially charged with one count of reckless or negligent injury to a child, a felony. As part of the deal, Peterson avoided jail time and was ordered to pay a $4,000 fine and court costs and perform 80 hours of community service.

The NFL said on Monday it had honored its "commitment to Mr. Peterson and the NFLPA not to process or impose any discipline until the criminal charges pending in Texas were resolved."

"When Mr. Peterson decided not to contest criminal charges, we promptly advised both him and the NFLPA that we were prepared to consider what, if any, discipline should now be imposed under the Personal Conduct Policy," the league statement said.

It added that the NFL had asked Peterson and the union for "relevant information" in the case.

"We have not received any of the requested information, but remain prepared to schedule a hearing and make a determination as quickly as possible based on as much information as available," the NFL said.

When a player is placed on the commissioner's exempt list, he cannot play but receives full salary, which for Peterson is $11.75 million.

Peterson, 29, has played in only one game this season.

(Reporting by Steve Ginsburg in Washington; Editing by Eric Walsh and Peter Cooney)

[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.