The National Football League made a major statement today, suspending Adrian Peterson for at least the remainder of the season after the Minnesota Vikings running back reached a plea deal in his child abuse case.
In a letter to Peterson, Commissioner Roger Goodell listed three main reasons for the season-long penalty, which exceeds the baseline six-game punishment outlined in the personal conduct policy that Goodell updated in August. The “aggravating circumstances” in this case were: That the victim, Peterson’s son, was just four years old; that Peterson's “repetitive use of the switch” constituted use of a weapon; and, notably, that Peterson has “shown no meaningful remorse” for his conduct.