NFLPA files to hold Roger Goodell and NFL in contempt of court over Adrian Peterson suspension

In February, Peterson successfully argued that the league had promised him that he would be reinstated once his child abuse case had been resolved. Peterson pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor in November, effectively ending his legal concerns, but the NFL kept him under indefinite suspension until mid-April, when was finally reinstated.

Peterson tried to appeal the NFL’s suspension after entering his plea in November. A neutral arbitrator, appointed by the NFL, ruled in favor of the league in December, saying that Peterson had not “demonstrated that the process and procedures surrounding his discipline were not fair and consistent.”

In its statement Tuesday, the NFLPA cited multiple requests made to the NFL in the months since the federal court’s decision in favor of Peterson.

Today, the players filed a motion in Federal Court in the Adrian Peterson matter because the Commissioner and NFL have deliberately ignored both the Court’s decision from eleven weeks ago and our repeated requests to comply with that order.

On February 26th, the NFL was ordered to change their decision in the Peterson matter and reissue a ruling consistent with our collective bargaining agreement. The Union made multiple requests to the League office asking the arbitrator, who serves at the direction of the Commissioner, to comply with the law and avoid further litigation. Despite our attempts, they have done nothing and leave us no choice but to seek this motion.

The delay tactics, inconsistencies and arbitrary decision making of the League has continued to hurt the rights of players, the credibility of the League office and the integrity of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. In the absence of any action by the NFL’s governing board of owners, the players have acted to hold the NFL accountable to our players, the CBA and to the law.

The NFL quickly filed its own appeal following the federal court’s decision in February. That appeal has yet to be resolved.

The inconsistencies recounted in the NFLPA’s statements likely include the league’s decision to apply its revamped personal conduct policy to an infraction that took place before the new policy had been implemented, and evidence that NFL executive Troy Vincent told Peterson that time spent on the commissioner’s permission/exempt list would count as “time served” if the running back attended a disciplinary hearing.

The NFLPA also requested Tuesday that Goodell step down as the arbitrator in Tom Brady’s appeal of his suspension for his alleged role in DeflateGate.