Welcome Back? Vikings Bring Back Adrian Peterson Amid Child Abuse Indictment

NFL star Adrian Peterson has reportedly been reinstated by the Minnesota Vikings following a publicized child abuse indictment last week.

According to reports, Peterson is expected to return to the team and possibly play in next Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.

Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf said the decision to bring back Peterson for practices and Sunday’s game at New Orleans was made “after significant thought, discussion and consideration.” Peterson was deactivated for Sunday’s 30-7 loss to the New England Patriots after he was charged with striking his 4-year-old son with a tree branch this summer. (CBS News)

The team addressed its decision to bring back Peterson right here…

The team issued an open statement over its decision to bring back Peterson.

“As evidenced by our decision to deactivate Adrian from yesterday’s game, this is clearly a very important issue,” the owners said. “On Friday, we felt it was in the best interests of the organization to step back, evaluate the situation, and not rush to judgment given the seriousness of this matter. At that time, we made the decision that we felt was best for the Vikings and all parties involved.” (Statement)

The Vikings owners also claimed it would rely on the legal process to determine Peterson’s fate.

“To be clear, we take very seriously any matter that involves the welfare of a child. At this time, however, we believe this is a matter of due process and we should allow the legal system to proceed so we can come to the most effective conclusions and then determine the appropriate course of action. This is a difficult path to navigate, and our focus is on doing the right thing. Currently we believe we are at a juncture where the most appropriate next step is to allow the judicial process to move forward.” (Statement)

Details of Adrian’s child abuse indictment surfaced online Friday (September 12).

Star Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been indicted in Texas on a charge of child abuse after using a branch to spank his son, and was swiftly benched by the team on Friday for this weekend’s game against New England. (Fox News)