Adrian Peterson's NFL return on hold after pleading down in child abuse case
CONROE, Texas – Adrian Peterson took the survivable hit on Tuesday: no jail time, no felony conviction, no ugly trial played out before the masses. But calculating the damage to his NFL career due to his child abuse charges – that trial is underway, and a resolution is more complicated than when commissioner Roger Goodell allows him to play football again.
By way of a no-contest plea to misdemeanor reckless assault, Peterson plead out of his child abuse charge, which was levied after he disciplined his 4-year-old son with a wooden switch. The plea accomplished what his legal team had set out to obtain almost two months ago, with Peterson avoiding a felony conviction. And he was largely unscathed legally in the process, save for a $4,000 fine, 80 hours of community service and a two-year deferred finding of guilt that will be wiped off the books if Peterson avoids legal issues through his probationary period.
"I take full responsibility for my actions," Peterson said from the courthouse steps after his plea. "I love my son more than any one of you could even imagine. I'm looking forward to and I'm anxious to continue my relationship with my child. I'm just glad this is over. I can put this behind me."
From a proceedings standpoint, Tuesday made sense for the prosecution. Peterson's legal team was open to pleading down to a misdemeanor from the moment this case went to trial, and it had a compelling reason why it believed that would happen. The reality is that Peterson initially avoided indictment by a grand jury – and he did so having testified in his own defense. Indeed, that grand jury voted against indictment. And that stance changed only after the Ray Rice assault video ignited a public firestorm about the behavior of NFL players off the field. Following the public furor over Rice, the grand jury reviewed evidence and was called for a second vote by the forewoman, and it subsequently decided that Peterson should be charged.
From the defense's viewpoint, there was a chance that Peterson could take the stand again – a source told Yahoo Sports this was planned – and would be able to convince a jury (again) that his intent was to discipline, not abuse, his son. While the public can debate that viewpoint, the defense had to grapple with the chance that another jury would fall behind Peterson again.
So the district attorney went the safe route and had Peterson held responsible in some fashion. And a lot of the bluster surrounding the case vanished. There would be no public trial. There would be no testimony or re-airing of photos and text messages. There would be no character witnesses. Even the alleged admission of marijuana use before a court-mandated drug test fell flat, as there was no way to arrest Peterson without proving that he had used the drug after being charged.
What happened Tuesday was what was likely always going to happen: two sides moving toward a compromise rather than taking on risk that would have been damaging to the losing party.
But make no mistake, Peterson incurred damage. Not only will this incident follow him from a public relations and marketing standpoint, he will undergo random drug testing for the next two years as part of his probationary period. In some eyes, his reputation will always have this significant smudge, not to mention some of the other unflattering stories that have been advanced since his arrest.
And now his fate on the field is in the hands of Goodell, who will decide Peterson's NFL future fresh off being pummeled for his perceived judicial lapses in the Rice case. The NFL has said it has no timetable for a response to Peterson's case, which is expected to trigger the league's nebulous personal conduct policy. There's also the reality that Peterson has already sat out eight games this season – though all of those were paid. Now Goodell must decide whether Peterson should be suspended further, fined … or both.
None of which mentions where the Minnesota Vikings stand. Two sources familiar with Peterson's case said the Vikings have relayed messages of support and indicated they firmly stand behind their star player. That said, the Vikings found some reasonable future alternatives at running back, and there was already some question about whether the team was willing to pay Peterson the $14 million he is due next season. Peterson will be 30 next season (and the running back position is being slid away from the premium end of the pay scale), so it remains to be seen whether he is viable in that franchise beyond the end of the season.
Another reality to consider: Peterson took some barbs in the Minnesota media during this incident. He took some harsh criticism from fans. That's the environment he would be returning to, as well as a team that is in the beginning stages of a rebuilding project. It's worth wondering whether Peterson will want to remain in Minnesota long-term, or whether he would prefer a team closer to a title as he enters the winter of his prime years. Maybe the question isn't whether the Vikings want Peterson long term, but whether Peterson wants the Vikings long term.
So Tuesday has come and gone. Peterson has avoided his worst-case scenario. But the cross-examination of his remaining career is in mid-session, and this is a trial that won't be side-stepped.
