Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that on Friday Adrian Peterson was scheduled to meet with the NFL to discuss his status, but never showed up for the meeting.
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Tom Pelissero of USA Today chimes in with a report that Peterson and the NFLPA told the NFL in a letter that they will agree to meet but only if the league first clears up “unanswered questions” about their process.
Per Pelissero, the union is primarily concerned about the role of outside experts the league plans to have testify in Peterson’s hearing.
There is a broader issue here too of course, the issue of the NFL seemingly changing the rules on the personal conduct policy whenever it suits them. NFLPA spokesman Joe Atallah slammed the NFL on their ever-shifting process (via USA Today):
"“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,” Atallah said earlier Saturday in a statement.“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 reportedly had a written guarantee from the league that he would be reinstated immediately upon the resolution of his legal case, but with that case now resolved, Peterson remains on the exempt list.
Monday’s grievance hearing is supposed to spur the NFL toward an ultimate decision but who knows now what will come of that hearing if anything.
It seems now that Peterson has become little more than a pawn in a larger power struggle between the union and the NFL. The main issue for Peterson may be getting back on the field, but there are bigger things at stake for the other principles involved.