Adrian Peterson Will Be Back On The Field Sunday Following Child Abuse Charges

Adrian Peterson will return to the field on Sunday

Despite heavy backlash for allegedly beating his son with a tree branch (also referred to as a “switch”), Adrian Peterson will return to the gridiron on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, his team, the Minnesota Vikings, announced on Monday (Sept. 15). After being deactivated by the Vikings from their Week 2 game against the New England Patriots on Sunday (Sept. 14), team owners Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf said he would return Week 4 in a statement: “Today’s decision was made after significant thought, discussion and consideration. As evidenced by our decision to deactivate Adrian from yesterday’s game, this is clearly a very important issue. On Friday, we felt it was in the best interests of the organization to step back, evaluate the situation, and not rush to judgment given the seriousness of this matter. At that time, we made the decision that we felt was best for the Vikings and all parties involved. To be clear, we take very seriously any matter that involves the welfare of a child. At this time, however, we believe this is a matter of due process and we should allow the legal system to proceed so we can come to the most effective conclusions and then determine the appropriate course of action. This is a difficult path to navigate, and our focus is on doing the right thing. Currently we believe we are at a juncture where the most appropriate next step is to allow the judicial process to move forward. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and support Adrian’s fulfillment of his legal responsibilities throughout this process.” The Vikings running back was indicted on charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child. Photos surfaced of the brutal beating his 4-year-old son suffered after a “whooping” from the 29-year-old star. First assistant district attorney Phil Grant said that Peterson will appear in court in the coming weeks, noting that it could take several months before the case is brought to trial. Peterson himself has yet to comment publicly on the matter, posted several religious verses on Twitter: