The Minnesota Vikings have placed Adrian Peterson on the Exempt/Commissioner's Permission list, which will require the star running back to abstain from team activities during the duration of his child-abuse case. The Vikings announced this decision early Wednesday morning.

Peterson was indicted Sept. 11 on a charge that he injured his 4-year-old son by spanking him with a tree branch, which he referred to as a "switch". Peterson was inactive for the Vikings's loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday, but was reinstated by the team on Monday.

Peterson's first scheduled court appearance - an arraignment - is Oct. 8. He faces up two years in prison and a $10,000 fine if found guilty of the charges.

In a statement, Vikings owners Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf said:

In conversations with the NFL over the last two days, the Vikings advised the League of the team's decision to revisit the situation regarding Adrian Peterson. In response, the League informed the team of the option to place Adrian on the Exempt/Commissioner's Permission list, which will require that Adrian remain away from all team activities while allowing him to take care of his personal situation until the legal proceedings are resolved. After giving the situation additional thought, we have decided this is the appropriate course of action for the organization and for Adrian.

They went on to say that the Minnesota Vikings as a whole has a strong stance regarding the protection and welfare of children and that the  want to "be sure we get this right."

The statement closed by saying that the organization will support Adrian Peterson during this process, but that they fully believe that this is the right decision.

Off-field issues involving Peterson and former Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice have overshadowed the start of the NFL season. The NFL Players Association announced Tuesday that it is appealing the suspension of Rice.

Anheuser-Busch, the NFL’s official beer sponsor, issued a statement on Tuesday expressing its disappointment in the recent controversy within the league and its players:

We are disappointed and increasingly concerned by the recent incidents that have overshadowed this NFL season. We are not yet satisfied with the league's handling of behaviors that so clearly go against our own company culture and moral code. We have shared our concerns and expectations with the league.

 

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