Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will not play on Sunday against the Patriots after he was indicted on a charge of injury to a child.
The Vikings announced the decision to deactivate Peterson on Friday, two hours after news broke that he had been indicted by a grand jury in Houston.
The move comes during the same week that the NFL has come under withering criticism stemming from the video showing Ravens running back Ray Rice beating up his wife. The Ravens released Rice and the NFL suspended him indefinitely.
It’s far too early to know whether the Vikings could release Peterson -- a notion that would have been absolutely unthinkable a few hours ago -- or whether the NFL could suspend him indefinitely. But in this week like no other in the NFL’s history, nothing can be ruled out.
Meanwhile, other players accused of domestic violence, notably Panthers defensive lineman Greg Hardy and 49ers defensive lineman Ray McDonald, will play on Sunday. The Panthers and the 49ers have cited due process, saying it wouldn’t be fair to deactivate players before the legal system plays out. The Vikings have decided that some accusations are serious enough to warrant immediate action.