Adrian Peterson Has Been in Plea Negotiations That Could Resolve Child Abuse Case as Early as Tuesday, According to Adam Schefter

Adrian Peterson has been in plea negotiations to resolve his child abuse charges, according to a report this morning by Adam Schefter. A resolution could come as early as Tuesday.

This was the outcome I thought was probable once Peterson was placed on paid leave by the Vikings. His attorney, Rusty Hardin, talked a big game but this is a case that screams resolution by plea before a trial drags all sorts of further details out. Peterson is a first time charged offender, and would thus not likely face the stiffest penalties, and could plea to avoid jail time. He has good counsel and makes it more of an uncertainty for the prosecution. Finally, because of leaks about Peterson’s statements and the injuries, a resolution wouldn’t change the public image hit. People have decided for themselves and won’t let twelve other people dictate how they should view Peterson.

If it happens, the next step is what the ultimate punishment is. He will miss an 8th game today, and then the Vikings are on a bye. A half-season punishment would have been a pretty severe punishment if the plea had been entered in June. He might get another couple of games tacked on by Goodell so as not to appear weak, but my guess is Peterson could play again if a plea is reached.