Adrian Peterson returns to the Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings and Adrian Peterson have agreed to a restructured contract, according to a news release from the team. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed by the team, but it covers the last three years of the seven-year, $96 million contract Peterson signed in 2011.

Sources told Pro Football Talk that Peterson will earn $20 million guaranteed, part of which is guaranteed only for injury. PFT suggests that Peterson’s $13 million due this season will be fully guaranteed, with the remaining $7 million due to Peterson at the commencement of the 2016 waiver period or league year, giving the Vikings the option of moving on from the running back before the start of free agency if need be.

The press conference seemingly closed a saga that has lasted nearly a year. Last September, Peterson was indicted for reckless or negligent injury to a child after he hit his 4-year-old son with a switch in Texas. He was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, which amounted to an indefinite suspension with pay after he played just one game of the 2014 season.

Peterson was handed a suspension in November, which resulted in contentious appeals that have led the NFL Players Association to file a motion to hold commissioner Roger Goodell in contempt of federal court. Since being reinstated in April, Peterson has seemingly lashed out at the Vikings, suggesting that the franchise did little to support him against the NFL’s disciplinary actions. In a Twitter rant last week, Peterson decried the NFL’s contract system, which may soon work against him when the Vikings are finished paying his guaranteed salary this season.

There will be a familiar face at the Minnesota Vikings OTAs on Tuesday. Disgruntled running back Adrian Peterson reversed course and decided to report to the team’s offseason practice this week. This is the first time he’s been with the team since Sep. 12, 2014, prior to his suspension and stint on the commissioner’s exempt list in the wake of child abuse charges in Texas last year.

“I decided to come back just to get around my teammates and the coaching staff,” Peterson told Josina Anderson of ESPN. There’s never been any love lost with those guys. Basically it’s time for me to come in and test the waters and re-familiarize myself with our offense and the direction they’re trying to go in.”

It’s been a tumultuous offseason for Peterson regarding his status with the team, with reports suggesting he wants to be traded, he won’t play unless he has a new contract and everything in between. The latest is that he’s trying to “secure” his future with the team, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN, which essentially translates to him wanting more guaranteed money over the last three years of his contract.

Peterson, who is set to make $12.75 million with the Vikings this season, pointed out that teams can release players from contracts at basically any time, and called contracts one-sided. Peterson has $32 million set to go his way in 2016 and 2017, but none of that money is guaranteed and the team can release him at any point if they feel he’s not living up to that dollar amount.

Peterson made noise all offseason regarding his uneasiness about playing for the Vikings in 2015. His decision to stay away from OTAs prompted Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer to give Peterson an ultimatum to either play for the Vikings or nobody at all. If taken at his word, the former MVP would like to continue playing with his current team as long as more of his contract becomes guaranteed.

As it stands, the Vikings could release Peterson after the season and completely escape the $32 million left on his contract. As a running back over the age of 30, Peterson and agent Ben Dogra understand that he’s unlikely to most or all of that money if the Vikings don’t restructure his deal ahead of time.

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.”

Peterson was indefinitely suspended by the league in November. During his appeal, Peterson successfully argued that the NFL had agreed in September to reinstate him when his legal issues had been resolved. However, he remained suspended once the NFL decided to file an appeal. Peterson met with league officials a week before April 15, the earliest date he was eligible for reinstatement.

After Peterson was formally reinstated, the NFL issued a statement:

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If Minnesota decides to move on from the public relations disaster that is a disgruntled Peterson, they would save $13 million against the salary cap in 2015 before netting a combined savings of $32 million in 2016 and 2017.

“Petition to vacate the arbitration award was granted. Case was remanded for further proceedings ... as the CBA may permit,” Doty said in the ruling.

The league said that it would review the judge’s decision as it related to Peterson’s reinstatement and later issued a statement that it would appeal the ruling (via Albert Breer of NFL Network):

Think about that. Consider the titanic emotional upheaval, the mental flips required to stay humble when so high, to rise from ashes when piercingly crushed.

A Federal judge ruled in favor of Peterson on Thursday, overturning his suspension. He turns 30 on March 21.

Despite this, Nelson Peterson, Adrian’s father, claims that his son is still willing to play for the Vikings, contrary to what Dogra was asserting:

Nelson stated that much of Adrian’s problem with the franchise stems from chief operating officer Kevin Warren’s position last season, along with his subsequent promotion.

The drama between the Minnesota Vikings and running back Adrian Peterson shows no signs of letting up. In the latest report, Peterson’s agent, Ben Dogra, got into a “heated verbal altercation” with a front office executive about the veteran back and his status with the team, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.

Dogra reportedly got into a fiery argument at the NFL Combine with Rob Brzezinski, Minnesota’s vice president of football operation, and “made it clear that Peterson would never play there again.” According to the report, it was a very public altercation and had to be broken up by former Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik.

Peterson, 29, played in just one game in 2014 before an indictment for child abuse sidelined him and eventually resulted in a suspension that ended the rest of his season. The tumultuous year created talk of Peterson and the Vikings parting ways, but according to Tomasson, those talks have never been formalized.

The running back told ESPN last week that he’s “still uneasy” about a return to the team and there’s plenty of reason to believe that the Vikings would want to avoid keeping Peterson on the roster and take a $15.4 million hit against the salary cap.

“There were people (in the organization) that I trusted, who knew exactly what was said, that weren’t heard from.” in the decision-making process. “They weren’t able to do anything about it,” he said via Vikings reporter Bob Goessling.

After the Vikings worked jointly with the NFL to put him on the commissioner’s exempt list stemming from a Nov. 4 no contest plea to charges of reckless injury to his 4-year-old son, Peterson said he felt “ambushed” after the decision to suspend him for all but one game in the 2014 season. The former All-Pro finished with just 21 carries and one start while watching his team struggle and miss the playoffs with a 6-9 record.

“I don’t think any team in the NFL wouldn’t want an Adrian Peterson-caliber running back on their team,” Spielman said. “We want Adrian Peterson back with the Minnesota Vikings.”

Peterson is still under contract with the Vikings.

“Well, as I’ve said many, many times, Adrian was always great with me,” Zimmer said. “I think he’s a good person. I think obviously he’s a great running back and if it works out that way and things work out and he gets his life in order -- that’s the most important thing, he gets his life in order, he gets the opportunity to come back -- then I will be in his corner whenever the decision is made.”

Peterson was handed an indefinite suspension after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor reckless assault charge in November. The plea stemmed from his indictment on child abuse charges in September. Peterson appealed the decision, but was denied reinstatement by an arbitrator. The appeal decision proved controversial. Peterson argued that he had been promised that time spent on the NFL’s exempt list would count as “time served,” and took exception to the appointment of a “neutral” arbitrator who had previously worked within the NFL’s front office.

Peterson received a full-season suspension on Nov. 18 and an appeal to overturn the suspension was denied on Friday. The NFL Players Association filed a lawsuit on Peterson’s behalf on Monday to challenge the suspension in federal court.

“So remember this, A.P., you’re not, today, you are not subject to the, to the new Personal Conduct Policy,” Vincent said, according to Bloomberg News.

Former NFL executive Harold Henderson served as the arbitrator in the case and his appointment is one of the main issues raised in the lawsuit. The NFLPA previously challenged Henderson’s neutrality, citing his roughly two-decade employment in the league office.

“The NFLPA expected this outcome, given the hearing officer’s relationship and financial ties to the NFL,” the union said in a statement. “The decision itself ignores the facts, the evidence and the collective bargaining agreement. This decision also represents the NFL’s repeated failure to adhere to due process and confirms its inconsistent treatment of players.”

Adrian Peterson was so disappointed with the NFL’s decision to deny his appeal for reinstatement that the 29-year-old running back said he considered retiring in an interview with ESPN. What would Peterson do in his spare time? The 2012 MVP said he would like to start training for the Olympics, where he would hope to compete in the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes.

Peterson believes the NFL is making an example of out of him after the league reinstated Ravens’ running back Ray Rice earlier this year for also violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

“I have nothing but love for Ray Rice, I’m happy he has the chance to play,” Peterson said. “But it’s like, how did Ray Rice get reinstated before me, a team has a chance to pick him up, but I don’t have the opportunity to come back until April.”

Peterson’s appeal was heard by former NFL executive Harold Henderson, who was appointed by commissioner Roger Goodell as an arbitrator in the case, which stems from a child abuse charge. Peterson pleaded no contest to misdemeanor reckless assault for injuring his four-year old son, and was suspended for the remainder of the season on Nov. 18.

According to Aiello, Henderson found that “[Peterson] has not demonstrated that the process and procedures surrounding his discipline were not fair and consistent.” He added: “[Peterson] was afforded all the protections and rights to which he is entitled, and I find no basis to vacate or reduce the discipline.”

The NFL Players Association is expected to file suit in federal court in hopes of getting Peterson reinstated, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. La Canfora believes that the Peterson will have a difficult time being reinstated before the end of the 2014 season, however. With a favorable decision in court, however, Peterson’s suspension could be lifted before April 15, the first date he is currently eligible for reinstatement.

Roger Goodell announced a new personal conduct policy at the NFL owners meetings Wednesday. The new policy will make several changes to how policy violations are handled. For example, accused players will immediately be placed on paid leave after they have been charged. In addition, the policy will apply to league personnel and team owners.

The NFL Players Association has raised several objections to proposed changes in the months leading up to Wednesday’s announcement, and is expected to challenge the new policy. The union released a statement regarding the policy change:

“So remember this, A.P.,” Vincent reportedly told Peterson. “You’re not, today, you are not subject to the, to the new Personal Conduct Policy.”

Vincent confirmed that he made those assurances during his testimony in front of arbitrator Harold Henderson. Via Bloomberg:

The hearing, which came after the NFL Players Association filed an appeal on Peterson’s behalf, ended Thursday. Former NFL executive Harold Henderson oversaw the appeal after the NFLPA requested a neutral arbitrator. In the hearing, the players’ union argued that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspending Peterson without pay was unprecedented and went against the collective bargaining agreement.

Peterson was suspended for the remainder of the season -- six games -- without pay in November, but the suspension will not start until the appeal is over. If Peterson loses, he will miss the last three games of the Vikings’ season and the first three of 2015.

Peterson reportedly submitted a transcript of the conversation as evidence to appeals officer Harold Henderson. The NFL Players Association requested that Henderson speak with Vincent. On Tuesday, Henderson ruled that Vincent must testify. According to Pro Football Talk, Vincent will speak Thursday.

Peterson was handed an indefinite suspension in November after being indicted on felony child abuse charges in September, which were reduced to a misdemeanor for which he pleaded no contest. Prior to the suspension, he had been sitting on the exempt list since Week 2 -- essentialy, taking a long paid leave of absence. When Peterson was placed on the list, it was seemingly under the pretense that he would return once his legal situation had been resolved.