According to The Associated Press, Adrian Peterson’s appeal was stopped for no gain, when the NFL’s unpaid suspension of the star running back was upheld until next spring.
Peterson won’t be considered for reinstatement before April 15, and by then he might not be with the Minnesota Vikings anymore.
Harold Henderson, the league-appointed arbitrator who heard Peterson’s appeal, released December 12 his decision affirming the November 18 punishment levied by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for the child-abuse case that kept Peterson out of all but one game this season.
He’d been on paid leave, even during the appeal, but Henderson’s ruling translated to a fine of more than $4.1 million. That’s the six-game portion of his salary this year.
According to a person with direct knowledge of the situation, a complaint will be filed against the NFL on Peterson’s behalf in Federal court in Minnesota. The person spoke December 12 to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, in an interview on December 12 with ESPN.com, Peterson said he’s been so frustrated by this process with the NFL that he’s considered retiring.
Photo By Mike Morbeck (Flickr: Adrian Peterson) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons