With the signing of Adrian Peterson comes a bit of a storied past.
The Washington Redskins signed running back Adrian Peterson to a one-year contract earlier this year. The former seventh overall pick was a household name for running backs, starting his college career with the Oklahoma Sooners and then going on to spend most of his NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings. Throughout his tenure, Peterson has won numerous awards from his play.
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In signing Peterson, the Redskins signed an aging (but dynamic!) NFL-experienced running back. But with the signing also comes some drama. On September 12, 2014, Peterson was indicted on charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child. Once the charges came to light, Roger Goodell placed Peterson on the “Commissioner’s Exempt List”— a form of administrative suspension where Peterson would be paid while ineligible to play.
Peterson remained on the exempt list until he struck a plea deal with prosecutors in November of 2014. He agreed to plead “no contest” to the misdemeanor offense of reckless assault, meaning he conceded the charge but would not admit guilt. This was after images circulated of the tree branch Peterson used to beat his young son repeatedly on his back, buttocks, genitals, ankles, and legs. But Peterson described the implement as a "switch," which he used to discipline his son in the same way he had been disciplined as a child.
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The Redskins are getting depleted on running backs after first-round pick Derrius Guice tore his ACL in a preseason game. As of right now, Peterson has continued to be the dominant force that he was back in his Vikings days. He and Alex Smith have been leading the Redskins to a roaring start this season.
The dilemma for fans is not on the same level as Eagles fans faced when Michael Vick made a comeback after going to prison -- or what Ravens fans went through with Ray Lewis, who was at one point charged with murder. In fact, as we're quickly learning in this society, a lot of people have pasts they're not necessarily proud of.
At the end of the day, Peterson will always be known as a great running back who was caught beating his son with a branch. For the Redskins' sake, I hope he does decently -- but I would much prefer that we employ players whose pasts are a little more squeaky-clean.
What do you think about the Redskins signing and playing Adrian Peterson? Let us know in the comments!
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