Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is denying that he backed out of an agreed-upon meeting with the NFL, a meeting that might have served to help him in his quest to be reinstated following his no contest plea on a charge of injuring his son.
In a statement released by the NFL Players Association, Peterson said that the players’ union advised him the meeting that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wanted him to attend on Friday was inconsistent with the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
“The report that I backed out of a meeting with the NFL is just not true,” Peterson said in the statement. “When Roger Goodell’s office asked that I attend the ‘hearing’ on Friday, I consulted with my union and learned that this ‘hearing’ was something new and inconsistent with the CBA. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this past week, my union sent emails, letters, and had conversations with his office on my behalf asking about the nature of the hearing, how it was to occur, who would participate, and its purpose. We repeatedly asked them to respond quickly to my questions because I want to cooperate and get back on the field, but they didn’t respond until late Wednesday evening, and even then they didn’t answer important questions about their proposed ‘hearing.’”
Peterson says he has informed the NFL that he will participate in the ordinary process for players who are facing discipline under the league’s personal-conduct policy. But he will not take part in something that he sees as little more than the NFL making up new rules to keep him off the field.
“After consulting with the union, I told the NFL that I will attend the standard meeting with the Commissioner prior to possible imposition of discipline, as has been the long-term practice under the CBA, but I wouldn’t participate in a newly created and non-collectively bargained pre-discipline ‘hearing’ that would include outside people I don’t know and who would have roles in the process that the NFL wouldn’t disclose,” the statement said. “At this point, I’ve resolved my matter in the criminal court; I’ve worked to make amends for what I’ve done; I’ve missed most of the season, and I stand ready to be candid and forthcoming with Mr. Goodell about what happened. However, I will not allow the NFL to impose a new process of discipline on me, ignore the CBA, ignore the deal they agreed to with me, and behave without fairness or accountability. The process they are pushing is arbitrary, inconsistent, and contrary to what they agreed to do, and for those reasons, I never agreed to the hearing. I’m sorry for all of this, but I can’t excuse their refusal to be fair.”
The fight between Peterson and the NFL does not appear likely to end soon.