Harold Henderson, the NFL's arbitrator, has repeatedly encouraged the NFL and Adrian Peterson to settle the appeal of his suspension, but Henderson may be forced to make a decision soon. The NFL's collective bargaining agreement may force Henderson to rule on the matter before any kind of settlement can be reached.
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According to media reports, the CBA states that an arbitrator must render a written decision "[a]s soon as practicable following the conclusion of the hearing."
Obviously there is some room for interpretation there, but with the hearing ending a week ago, it seems like Henderson would be forced to rule in the near future, probably by week's end.
Henderson's delay is of far more consequence to Peterson than the league. Peterson cannot play until the ruling is handed down, and that is exactly what Roger Goodell and the NFL want anyway. There is no word on why Henderson has yet to deliver a decision, but one possibility is that he is leaning toward ruling against the commissioner.
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The previous two arbitrators to rule against Goodell have not been used as neutral arbitrators afterward, which is a fate Henderson may hope to avoid. Obviously a settlement would prevent him from having to render a ruling, thus allowing him to avoid upsetting the commissioner.
For his part, Peterson has said that he wants to play this season. Word out of Minnesota is that the team would also like to see him on the field, particularly following the season-ending injury to Jerick McKinnon. The Vikings have three games left, and although they cannot make the playoffs, they can at least evaluate Peterson's future with the team or try to inflate his trade value if they want to move on from him.
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