Let's go ahead and chalk the Adrian Peterson suspension up as another mistake for the NFL as it tries to police its own league.
The NFL suspended Adrian Peterson after his court case involving him injuring his 4-year-old son with a switch was resolved. On Thursday a federal judge said the NFL arbitrator who made that suspension decision overstepped his authority, so he overturned the suspension. The Star-Tribune said Judge David Doty sent "the case back for further arbitration proceedings 'consistent with' the players’ collective bargaining agreement."
According to Doty's order (via the Star-Tribune), Peterson and the NFL agreed in writing on Sept. 18 that he would be put on the commissioner's exempt list until his court case was resolved. Peterson pleaded no contest to misdemeanor reckless assault in November. The NFL held a disciplinary hearing for Peterson, and Peterson didn't show up because the NFLPA was upset about the process and that the league wasn't honoring what the union said was an agreement to reinstate him.
Doty agreed with Peterson and the NFLPA, saying former NFL executive Harold Henderson was wrong to suspend Peterson without pay for the remainder of the season on Nov. 18. It's yet another misstep for the NFL that a judge ruled it wrongfully took away games and pay from Peterson last season. In the NFL's other high-profile case last year, Ray Rice's indefinite suspension stemming from his domestic violence case was overturned in late November. Rice still hasn't signed with a new team.
Peterson was supposed to be eligible for reinstatement on April 15. Having the suspension lifted now is important for Peterson because free agency starts on March 10, and there's no guarantee Peterson returns to the Vikings.
Between his $15.4 million cap hit and lingering feelings about how the Vikings handled the situation last year, Peterson is no sure thing to return. The Vikings have been able to stall because Peterson was suspended. Now the timetable for a decision will speed up.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/182mnwq
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