According to Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter of ESPN, the NFL Players Association demanded via letter sent to the league on Friday the reinstatement of Peterson. The NFLPA’s argument arises from the terms of the agreement that placed Peterson on the Commissioner-Exempt list.
The agreement to place Peterson on the commissioner’s exempt list explicitly states that Peterson would be removed from the list upon resolution of his legal matter, sources said. Peterson pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor last week.
If the NFL declines to comply with the agreement, the NFLPA can then file an expedited non-injury grievance to have Peterson reinstated immediately.
The NFL wants: Peterson to submit all evidence from his court case; independent experts to review those documents; independent experts to make a recommendation on discipline; and after that, they want him to meet with commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss what happened to make a disciplinary decision, which could be creating a new precedent for the new personal conduct policy.
In the first sentence of the letter the NFL sent to Peterson, the league specifically refers to the “felony Injury to a Child” charge — a clear signal that a no-contest plea to misdemeanor assault may have omitted any reference to child abuse but the NFL will not ignore the incident in its review.
