Vikings Place Adrian Peterson On Exempt/Commissioner’s Permission List

Update:

The Minnesota Vikings held a press conference Wednesday regarding their decision to place RB Adrian Peterson on the Commissioner’s Exempt Policy.

“We made a mistake and we needed to get this right,” Wilf said in a statement, via Pro Football Talk. “We embrace our role in the community and the responsibilities that go with it. It is important to always listen to our fans, the community and our sponsors. Our goal is to always make a decision we feel is right for the Minnesota Vikings. And to be clear, we have a strong stance regarding the protection and welfare of children, and we want to be sure we get this right. Adrian will be away from the team and focused on his personal situation. We will support Adrian during this legal and personal process, but we firmly believe this is the right decision.”

The Vikings brass stressed that they made a mistake are trying to “get this right” throughout the press conference. GM Rick Spielman said that they have no plans to release Peterson and he’ll remain on the exempt list until his legal matter is resolved.

Nike announced Wednesday that they have suspended its contract with Peterson, which is the second sponsor to take action against the Pro Bowl running back in the past two days.

———-

The NFLPA has released a statement regarding Vikings RB Adrian Peterson:

“Adrian Peterson made a decision to take a voluntary leave with pay to take care of his personal and legal issues. The NFLPA and NFL worked with Adrian and the Minnesota Vikings to resolve this unique situation. We support this decision and hope the best for him and his family.“

Here’s how the Commissioner’s Exempt Policy reads in the CBA:

“The Exempt List is a special player status available to clubs only in unusual circumstances. The List includes those players who have been declared by the Commissioner to be temporarily exempt from counting within the Active List limit. Only the Commissioner has the authority to place a player on the Exempt List; clubs have no such authority, and no exemption, regardless of circumstances, is automatic. The Commissioner also has the authority to determine in advance whether a player’s time on the Exempt List will be finite or will continue until the Commissioner deems the exemption should be lifted and the player returned to the Active List.”

———

Vikings owners Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf released a statement early Wednesday morning regarding RB Adrian Peterson‘s status with the team.

Peterson is being placed on the exempt/commissioner’s permission list, which basically means he will be required to stay away from the team and handle his personal situation.

Here’s the full statement from the Wilfs, via Josina Anderson:

“This has been an ongoing and deliberate process since last Friday’s news. In conversations with the NFL over the last two days, the Vikings advised the League of the team’s decision to revisit the situation regarding Adrian Peterson. In response, the League informed the team of the option to place Adrian on the Exempt/Commissioner’s Permission list, which will require that Adrian remain away from all team activities while allowing him to take care of his personal situation until the legal proceedings are resolved. After giving the situation additional thought, we have decided this is the appropriate course of action for the organization and for Adrian.

We are always focused on trying to make the right decision as an organization. We embrace our role – and the responsibilities that go with it – as a leader in the community, as a business partner and as an organization that can build bridges with our fans and positively impact this great region. We appreciate and value the input we have received from our fans, our partners and the community.

While we were trying to make a balanced decision yesterday, after further reflection we have concluded that this resolution is best for the Vikings and for Adrian. We want to be clear: we have a strong stance regarding the protection and welfare of children, and we want to be sure we get this right. At the same time we want to express our support for Adrian and acknowledge his seven-plus years of outstanding commitment to this organization and this community. Adrian emphasized his desire to avoid further distraction to his teammates and coaches while focusing on his current situation; this resolution accomplishes these objectives as well.

We will support Adrian during this legal and personal process, but we firmly believe and realize this is the right decision. We hope that all of our fans can respect the process that we have gone through to reach this final decision.”