Adrian Peterson

The Vikings gave Adrian Peterson the weekend off for damage control. But now they’re falling back on due process.

The team released a statement from owners Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf saying the All-Pro running back would fully participate in practices and meetings this week and is expected to play Sunday against the Saints.

He was deactivated and not present last week after being indicted on child abuse charges in Texas stemming from what he claimed was disciplining his 4-year-old son with a switch.

“Today’s decision was made after significant thought, discussion and consideration,” the statement read. “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.”

So the Vikings are going to let Peterson play until the legal process plays out. That bodes well for his short-term value, though the NFL may step in and give him some sort of suspension as they are trying to take a tougher stance on domestic violence. His availability is still very much in the air, but he has cleared one hurdle since it doesn’t look like the team is going to suspend him anytime soon.