The situation concerning the Vikings and star running back Adrian Peterson gets more complicated by the minute.
Public sentiment was so strong against the Vikings' initial decision to play Peterson that, early Wednesday, the NFL and the Vikings placed the running back on the exempt list, which essentially deactivates him until the situation is resolved. It's a strange decision that shows a reactionary nature to public outcry.
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So what now?
Exempt status is a special roster designation given to players whose situations are considered unusual. It is not used to deactivate a player as punishment. 49ers guard Alex Boone, for example, began the season on the exempt list because he held out of training camp. The exemption allows the team to carry more than 53 players on its active roster.
Peterson's placement on the list, which has never been used for a situation like this, is an attempt to work out a compromise that avoids CBA issues. The NFL could have gotten involved and looked to suspend Peterson under its personal conduct policy, but any such move would have been challenged by the NFLPA. The decision is a compromise for all involved.
Peterson can still be traded or released while on the list, but his release would not be financially viable due to timing. Had the Vikings been aware of Peterson's indictment prior to the first game of the season, they could have released him and taken a cap hit. But since it occurred after Week 1, Peterson is entitled to termination pay, which protects the entire salary — $11.75 million in this case — of a veteran player.
Trading Peterson remains an option, as it relieves the Vikings of their salary obligation and transfers it to a new team. But executing a trade requires finding a partner that's not only willing to deal with the negative PR, but also has the required cap space. Based on my estimates, the only teams financially capable of executing the trade are the Jaguars, Jets, Browns, Eagles, Titans, Bengals and maybe Patriots.
If the Vikings carry Peterson to the trade deadline, though, teams would need around $6 million in cap room to execute a trade. That would open up about half the NFL to being financially able to do it. Minnesota could also pre-pay Peterson salary to facilitate a trade earlier than the deadline.
Regardless of where Peterson ends up, removal of the exemption is up to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, so the running back must to prove the incidents are fully behind him.
For all the opinions about how simple a decision this should be, the fact is it's a complex issue that goes far beyond deactivating or releasing a player because "it seems like the right thing to do." The NFL seems to make rules up as they go, and such rules would never apply to lower level players. They'd be released the minute they were faced with similar charges.
In the future, Goodell, team owners and the NFLPA will need a course of action that will automatically apply to all players faced with similar situations — it's the only way the league can steer clear of such controversy.