Adrian Peterson's appeals hearing is set for Monday, but the NFL already held a review Friday. According to a statement that NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport obtained from a league official Saturday, the Vikings running back wasn't present at the Friday meeting.
"On Tuesday of this week we scheduled a hearing with Adrian Peterson for Friday," the statement read. "As Mr. Peterson was advised, the purpose of the meeting would be to review his case, and would include a group of outside experts who could offer broader expertise on the legal, clinical and football issues involved. After initially confirming that it wanted a date 'sooner rather than later,' the union told us on Thursday that it was unavailable on Friday.
"We informed the union that we were unwilling to postpone the hearing beyond this week given that the player and union had both expressed a strong desire to resolve this matter as soon as possible and we had been given no meaningful reason why Adrian and the union could not appear and participate. We offered other alternatives for this week, but those also were not acceptable. We also have yet to receive more than cursory materials in response to our requests for information on the case. Accordingly, we went forward with the review on Friday as scheduled.
"We had hoped that Adrian would take advantage of his opportunity to be heard and present whatever information he believes should be considered before a decision on discipline, counseling and services is made. Because he and the NFLPA elected not to do so, we will have to address this based on the information currently available to us."
According to Rapoport, per a union source, NFL Players Association officials have contended they have questions about the process and that Peterson never planned to show up Friday. The union also says there wasn't time to gather all the materials the NFL requested, and it is not legal for Peterson to hand over some of the case files.
NFL Media's Albert Breer obtained a statement from NFLPA assistant executive director George Atallah on the matter Saturday:
"The League office seems more focused on creating an arbitrary disciplinary process for Adrian instead of honoring a signed agreement to remove him from the Commissioner's list. They are simply making stuff up as they go along. They should commit their efforts to meeting us at the table to collectively bargain a new personal conduct policy."
Peterson also commented Sunday in a statement released by the NFLPA on his behalf.
A teleconference is scheduled for Monday at 2 p.m. ET, on Peterson's status on the Commissioner's Exempt List, per Rapoport. Within five days the arbitrator will make a ruling.
Rapoport reported last week that while Peterson is facing a six-game suspension under the league's personal-conduct policy, his punishment would likely be shorter than that with a compromise based on time served and loss of pay.
Earlier in the week, the union filed an expedited, non-injury grievance to remove Peterson from the Commissioner's Exempt list "based on explicit language in a signed agreement dated September 18, 2014."
Peterson took the first step toward a potential comeback last week when he accepted a plea deal of no contest to one count of misdemeanor reckless assault.
