--- description: The Minnesota Vikings have placed star running back Adrian Peterson on the NFL's exempt list until his ongoing child-abuse case is resolved title: Vikings place Adrian Peterson on Commissioner's Exempt list image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc04074c1ac35384e/6986a3b855a85926fba829a8/adrian-peterson3.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Football](/tag/football/) ## Football Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Vikings Reverse Adrian Peterson Decision and Ban Him From Playing by [Megan Gibson](/author/megan-gibson/) ## Megan Gibson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 17, 2014 11:21 AM CUT  Adrian Peterson #28 of the Minnesota Vikings rushes during a game against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome on September 7, 2014 in St. Louis, Missouri. Adrian Peterson #28 of the Minnesota Vikings rushes during a game against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome on September 7, 2014 in St. Louis, Missouri.Michael Thomas—Getty Images by [Megan Gibson](/author/megan-gibson/) ## Megan Gibson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 17, 2014 11:21 AM CUT _Updated 10:41 a.m. E.T._ Reversing their earlier decision, the Minnesota Vikings have placed star running back Adrian Peterson on [the NFL’s exempt list](http://www.si.com/nfl/2014/09/17/adrian-peterson-minnesota-vikings-exempt-commissioners-permission-list "undefined") until his ongoing child-abuse case is resolved. Peterson has been charged with reckless or negligent injury to a child after injuring his four year-old son with a switch, a stripped tree branch. Despite the charges, the Vikings initially cleared Peterson — who surrendered to police Saturday before being released on $15,000 bail — to play in a game this weekend against the New Orleans Saints. However, the Vikings now say they have placed Peterson on the Exempt/Commissioner’s Permission list — an effective indefinite suspension from all team activities — in order to allow Peterson to “take care of his personal situation until the legal proceedings are resolved.” In a [joint statement](http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000396097/article/vikings-deactivate-adrian-peterson-indefinitely "undefined") released in the very early hours on Wednesday, Vikings owner Zygi Wilf and team President Mark Wilf said: --- > “” --- Peterson himself responded to the news with a tweet: > [](https://twitter.com/AdrianPeterson/status/512126528982110209) And the NFL Players Association said Wednesday that Peterson “made a decision to take a voluntary leave with pay to take care of his personal and legal issues.” > [](https://twitter.com/darrenrovell/status/512245830221570049) The running back [released a statement](http://time.com/3379713/adrian-peterson-statement-not-a-child-abuser/ "undefined") earlier this week denying that he was a child abuser. “I want everyone to understand how sorry I feel about the hurt I have brought to my child,” he said. “I am not a perfect parent, but I am, without a doubt, not a child abuser. I am someone that disciplined his child and did not intend to cause him any injury.” Peterson is also facing separate allegations of child abuse dating back a year, though his attorney [flatly denied](http://www.khou.com/story/news/investigations/2014/09/15/new-accusations-peterson-injured-another-son-while-disciplining-4-year-old/15693941/ "undefined") those claims. And while the Vikings grapple with Peterson’s case, the NFL Player’s Association said Tuesday evening it would [appeal](http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2014/09/16/ray-rice-appeal-indefinite-suspension-ravens-domestic-abuse/15663525/ "undefined") an indefinite ban against Baltimore Ravens star Ray Rice which the league handed down after new video recently surfaced of Rice knocking his now-wife unconscious and dragging her body out of an elevator. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3392460/adrian-peterson-vikings/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3392460/adrian-peterson-vikings/"},"headline":"Vikings Reverse Adrian Peterson Decision and Ban Him From Playing","datePublished":"2014-09-17T11:21:52.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T10:13:53.636Z","description":"The star running back has been suspended indefinitely from all team activities in the wake of his child abuse charges","url":"https://time.com/3392460/adrian-peterson-vikings/","keywords":["Football","Sports topic","NFL","Vikings","Adrian Peterson"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc04074c1ac35384e/6986a3b855a85926fba829a8/adrian-peterson3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Megan Gibson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/megan-gibson/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc04074c1ac35384e/6986a3b855a85926fba829a8/adrian-peterson3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Minnesota Vikings v St. Louis Rams","caption":"Minnesota Vikings v St. Louis Rams","creditText":"Michael Thomas—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/football/","name":"Football"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3392460/adrian-peterson-vikings/","name":"Vikings Reverse Adrian Peterson Decision and Ban Him From Playing"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Earlier Peterson Child Abuse Claim Could Aid Prosecutors","description":"Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was investigated last year for harming another of his children.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/cmubNWrl/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-09-16T18:39:52.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/cmubNWrl.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3392460/adrian-peterson-vikings/","duration":"PT1M50S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3392460/adrian-peterson-vikings/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```