Written By Sam Ekstrom
After days of speculation on what arbitrator Shyam Das would decide in Adrian Peterson’s grievance to be removed from the commissioner’s exempt list, the National Football League came out with a no-nonsense ruling of its own that made Das’ determination pale in comparison.
The NFL and its commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Peterson for the remaining six games of the season at minimum, mandating that the Vikings running back could not apply for reinstatement until April 15, 2015. The NFL Players Association made an appeal on behalf of Peterson that could open the door for Peterson to return, though it would require a 180-degree turn by the commissioner.
But for all intents and purposes, let’s say Peterson’s season is over. What does it mean for the parties involved? The Vikings, a 4-6 team, have dealt with the Peterson saga since Week 2 and have struggled to consistently open up the running game without their all-time rushing leader. The league, much maligned for its handling of the Ray Rice and Peterson cases, is locked in an ongoing battle with the union over the NFL’s disciplinary process. And Peterson himself, who turns 30 four months from Friday, may be wearing a different color uniform when the NFL season begins next season.
Impact on the Vikings
“We love the kid,” said head coach Mike Zimmer of Peterson after the bye week. “He's done everything I've asked him to do, and we support him, and we want him to get through this for him, and then we'll worry about all the other things we have to deal with at that point in time.”
In addition to the head coach, Vikings players came out in support of Peterson in the days and weeks leading up to Tuesday’s decision. Fullback Jerome Felton, who served as Peterson’s lead blocker during the running back’s historic 2,000-yard season in 2012, laid the groundwork for a Peterson return with his statements on Nov. 3.
“I think we’d be happy to have him back,” said Felton. “He’s a leader on this team, he’s done a lot for this team, this organization over the past years, and I think it’d be good for the team having good leadership back and of course, his ability and talent and anything he can do as well.
“Everybody knows he’s a leader and the type of guy he is, regardless of what people say, but he’s still leading without even being in our locker room. I think that speaks volumes of his character and other qualities that he has.”
Without Peterson returning in 2014, the Vikings will be forced to move forward with rookie Jerick McKinnon, the top rookie rusher in the NFC, and Matt Asiata, who has seven touchdowns on the year.
The real decision comes in March for the Vikings when the new league year commences. The Vikings have paid every cent of guaranteed money that Peterson is owed. If the Vikings were to release Peterson, they would only be required to take a $2.4 million cap hit next season instead of the $15.4 million cap hit it would cost the team to retain him. That is $13 million the Vikings could spend to bolster their offensive line, linebacking corps or secondary.
Immediately, though, the NFL’s decision to suspend Peterson saves the Vikings from themselves. When the team initially chose to reinstate Peterson the morning after a loss to the New England Patriots, public outcry and angry sponsors forced the Vikings to change course and send Peterson away. Had it not been for the team’s poor judgment and subsequent backpedal, the NFL’s ongoing involvement may have been avoided; at least to an extent. The Vikings now have the luxury of not making a decision that could dig them a deeper hole and, heaven forbid, force Zygi Wilf to speak at a podium. Had Peterson suited up for the Vikings-Packers game this Sunday, it would inevitably have prompted controversy, protest and outrage. ‘How could the Vikings let a child abuser back on the team?’ fans might have asked.
The NFL’s decision provides closure for the Vikings and may help them cut ties with Peterson come 2015. The only conceivable way Peterson plays in purple again is if he negotiates a significant pay reduction.
Impact on the NFL
The NFL could have learned a thing or two from the swift justice of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in the wake of Donald Sterling’s racist commentary. Silver promptly banned Sterling from the league for life and received praise and respect for his decisive response.
Goodell appears to have been overwhelmed and unprepared at several junctures throughout this chaotic 2014 season that has taken on a life of its own outside the weekly slate of football games. The league entered the season without a meaningful policy in place to deal with domestic assault – towards women or children. Rice and Peterson brought things to a boil with their respective incidents. Rice, punching his fiancé unconscious in an elevator; Peterson, whipping his four-year-old son with a switch. Rice was originally suspended for two games, but public backlash after the video of Rice’s punch surfaced led to Rice’s release and indefinite suspension. The league then adopted a makeshift policy mid-season that would punish players with a six-game suspension for their first offense.
The Rice case undoubtedly influenced the Peterson case, though that claim can never be substantiated. From an empirical standpoint, it’s clear that the NFL felt the tremors of the Rice backlash and wanted to handle Peterson’s case with the utmost caution. Instead of stomping on Peterson, the NFL tiptoed until they couldn’t anymore, perhaps not wanting to upset an already-perturbed NFLPA, perhaps hoping that Peterson’s trial would take long enough that the whole incident would be buried by Father Time.
The trial was expedited as Peterson agreed to a plea bargain that lowered his charge from felony to misdemeanor, and the NFLPA was, in fact, very perturbed by the commissioner, citing a “credibility gap” between the league’s promises and its follow through on those promises.
Goodell’s punishment of a six-game suspension was not unjust if you look at it in a vacuum, but his process was ostensibly flawed. By all accounts from the union, Peterson’s camp was promised that his time on the exempt list would count as time served toward his suspension. It was not. Peterson was also told that he would be removed from the commissioner’s exempt list once his legal proceedings concluded. He was not.
Moving forward, the NFL will be forced to address its deficiencies in the disciplinary process, whether they are real or perceived.
Impact on Adrian Peterson
If Peterson is smart – or at least has a good agent – he should see the writing on the wall. He knows that his career in Minnesota is probably in its twilight, and the odds of him retiring a Viking are slim to none.
So what now? What happens next to this accomplished athlete who, less than two years ago, was chasing Eric Dickerson’s rushing record less than a year following a gruesome ACL tear? Peterson has reportedly spoken to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones about possibly playing for “America’s Team” in Peterson’s home state, but Dallas currently possesses the league’s far-and-away rushing leader in DeMarco Murray.
The market for running backs is changing. In a former era, running backs were valued highly. Look no further than the haul the Vikings gave up in the infamous Herschel Walker trade. But in today’s NFL, running backs are considered expendable. Many teams run a two-back system that reduces wear-and-tear on ball carriers. The last two NFL drafts have not seen a running back selected in the first round. Once considered a mainstay of any successful offense, the running back is quickly becoming outdated in a league where passing is the only way to win Super Bowls.
Peterson is also at an age where running backs typically decline. He’s also got a tremendous amount of mileage on his body with over 2,000 career NFL carries and multiple offseason surgeries under his belt. Peterson could be a ticking time bomb. Though he hasn’t shown statistical signs of decline, calculated GMs will not want to take a risk that 30-year-old Peterson breaks down.
Peterson is untradeable with his current contract, and the Vikings are almost certainly not willing to pay him eight-digit salaries for the next three years. The one they call “A.P.” will be forced to play football for less money if he wants to continue his career and chase the record books, which he’s always had an eye for.
For all his accolades in Minnesota, Peterson only won a single playoff game in purple. Though his ferocious running style, insatiable motor and firm handshake made him a star, these last two months have likely dented his Minnesota legacy permanently.
Nobody, not even Peterson, could have expected his Vikings career to end like this. Astoundingly, Peterson now lives in a world where he doesn’t know where or when he’ll play football again.
Sam Ekstrom is a staff writer for Cold Omaha at 105 The Ticket and a play-by-play broadcaster in Burnsville, Minn. Hear him on 105 The Ticket weekdays from 2-3 p.m. on “The Michael Knight Show” or Sunday mornings from 8-10 a.m. on “The Wake Up Call.” Follow him on Twitter @SamEkstrom for further insights.