Vikings Reinstate Adrian Peterson After Abuse Charge

EDEN PRAIRIE (AP) - The Minnesota Vikings are reinstating Adrian Peterson this week after he was charged with child abuse and say he will play on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.

Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf made the announcement Monday, one day Peterson was benched during a 30-7 loss to the New England Patriots after he was charged for striking his 4-year-old son with a tree branch this summer.

The Vikings say they take the issue very seriously and have given it considerable thought. But they also say they want the legal process to take its course before making any final decisions.

Peterson's lawyer says the star player was just disciplining his child and did not mean to cause harm.

The following statement is from Vikings Owners Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf:

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.