Adrian Peterson ordered to stay away from Minnesota Vikings

Hours after reversing course and benching Adrian Peterson indefinitely, Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf said Wednesday that the team "made a mistake" in bringing back their superstar running back following his indictment on a felony child-abuse charge in Texas.

"We made a mistake and we need to get this right," he said at a crowded news conference. "It is important to always listen to our fans and the community and our sponsors. Our goal is always to make the decision we feel is right for the Minnesota Vikings ... We want to be sure we get this right."

Wilf and his co-owner brother, Mark Wilf, announced their decision around 2 a.m. ETafter concluding it was best for the Vikings and for Peterson, their All-Pro workhorse who has played his entire NFL career with Minnesota and is accused of injuring his four-year-old son by spanking him with a wooden switch earlier this year.

The organization put Peterson on the NFL's exempt-commissioner's permission list, meaning he is off the active roster while he deals with his legal affairs.

General manager Rick Spielman would not put a timeframe on when Peterson, who is due in court on Oct. 8,might be back.

"Until these legal matters are resolved, that he will remain on this exemption list," he said.

Peterson 'understands the gravity': agent

Peterson's agent said he supported the Vikings' decision.

"This is the best possible outcome given the circumstances," BenDogra, told The Associated Press. "Adrian understands the gravity of the situation and this enables him to take care of his personal situation. We fully support Adrian and he looks forward to watching his teammates and coaches being successful during his absence."

Peterson was indicted last week in Montgomery County, Texas, after admitting to authorities that he struck his son with a tree branch. Peterson said he was disciplining his son the same way his own father disciplined him while growing up in Palestine, Texas, and didn't intend to hurt him.

The Vikings deactivated Petersonfor the 30-7 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday while they gathered more information. But on Monday they announced that Peterson was being reinstated and expected to play this weekend at New Orleans, only to reverse that decision Wednesday.

Nike joins fleeing sponsors

The about face came after the Radisson hotel chainsuspended its sponsorship with the Vikings, Papa John's considered doing the same, and Anheuser-Busch said it was "disappointed and increasingly concerned" with the negative attention brought to the league by Ray Rice's assault on his wife and Peterson's arrest.

Castrol Motor Oil, Special Olympics Minnesota and Mylan Inc. all severed ties with Peterson, and Twin Cities Nike stores pulled Peterson's jerseys from its shelves.

On Wednesday, Nike joined the list of companies distancing themselves from Peterson, announcing that their contract with the running back has been suspended.

The apparel maker issued a statement saying that Nike "in no way condones child abuse or domestic violence of any kind and has shared our concerns with the NFL."

Mark Wilf dismissed the suggestion that Peterson was barred strictly because of sponsor concerns.

"Absolutely not," he said. "We value our partners, our sponsors, our community and especially our fans. In the end, it really is about getting it right. We made a mistake."

Governor called for Vikings to reconsider

The Vikings said they had deliberations with the NFL over the previous two days. They said they informed the league they were revisiting the original decision. Executives were at the team's Winter Park headquarters late into the night Tuesday, discussing how to respond to the avalanche of criticism. It explained the early-morning announcement.

"There were a lot of people discussing this, working through it, a lot of different parties in this," MarkWilfsaid. "We felt once we get it right, to get it out when we got it right."

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, who spearheaded an effort to secure $477 million US in public money to help build the team a new stadium, and Sen. AlFrankenwere among the many who called for the Vikings to reconsider their position.

The NFL Players Association said it had worked with Peterson and the team to resolve "this unique situation."

"Adrian Peterson made a decision to take a voluntary leave with pay to take care of his personal and legal issues," the union said. "We support this decision and hope the best for him and his family."

Peterson could miss rest of season

Peterson has an Oct. 8 court appearance scheduled in Montgomery County, outside of Houston, on a felony charge of injury to a child. Peterson has taken responsibility for the incident, insisting he meant no harm and alluding to similar punishment he endured from his parents while growing up in Palestine, Texas.

Peterson hasn't appeared publicly since the grand jury indictment, but in a statement this week he said he's met with a psychologist and acknowledged there are "alternative ways of disciplining a child that may be more appropriate."

The case is expected to take several months to proceed through the court system, so the possibility of Peterson playing again in 2014 appears slim. His future with the Vikings is another matter. He turns 30 next year and will continue to carry a huge salary cap hit in 2015.

Peterson has been the face of the franchise since he was drafted in 2007, one of the most popular and marketable stars in the NFL whose All Day Foundation charity is devoted to helping children.

But the foundation's website was shuttered Tuesday, at one point posting a message that it "will re-engage after Adrian, his family, and staff have reflected on how the current situation impacts the direction for Adrian's philanthropy."