The NFLPA formally filed its lawsuit on behalf of Adrian Peterson today, in the hopes of getting the Vikings running back reinstated from his suspension prior to the start of the 2015 league year in March. We’ve got plenty of Peterson-related updates to pass along in this afternoon’s round-up of NFC North notes, along with one item on the division-rival Lions. Let’s dive in….
- As Jason Cole of Bleacher Report explains, Peterson’s camp wants the running back reinstated by March so that if the Vikings decide to cut him, he can be involved in the first wave of free agency — if he’s reinstated in April or later, Peterson’s leverage would be significantly reduced in the event that Minnesota approaches him about a pay cut.
- The NFLPA’s lawsuit crafted on Peterson’s behalf is “a masterpiece,” according to ESPN.com legal analyst Lester Munson. However, as Munson points out, judges almost never overturn the decisions of arbitrators, so the suit is unlikely to change anything for the running back.
- According to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, the NFLPA attempted to reach a compromise with the NFL before Henderson issued his ruling — the NFLPA proposed that Peterson would sit out the rest of the season, but would recoup some of the $4MM+ in salary he has lost, and would be reinstated well before April 15. Needless to say, the league didn’t agree to those terms.
- After paying a visit to the Lions last week, rugby star Jarryd Hayne is in town again today, and the team has expressed interest in signing him, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Agent Jack Bechta tells Birkett that “no decision is imminent, as we have to explore all options,” but it sounds as if Detroit could have interest in signing Hayne to the same sort of deal Carlin Isles signed a year ago — Isles, another rugby standout, joined the Lions’ practice squad in December, giving the team first shot at him for a reserve/futures contract at season’s end.