Sep 17, 2014 3 min read

MINNEAPOLIS – Hours after reversing course and benching Adrian Peterson indefinitely, Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf said Wednesday 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. Eastern after concluding it was best for the Vikings and for Peterson, their All-Pro workhorse who played his entire NFL career with Minnesota and is accused of injuring his 4-year-old son by spanking him with a wooden switch earlier this year.

The organization put Peterson on the 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 might be back.

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

A day-and-a-half earlier, the Vikings said Peterson would rejoin the team after missing Sunday’s loss to New England. The backlash to that announcement was significant. The Vikings had at least one major sponsorship suspended. Several prominent NFL advertisers, including Anheuser-Busch, expressed concern about the league’s recent off-the-field problems, which include former Ravens running back Ray Rice and the indictment of Peterson. The governor was critical. Fans were angry.

Castrol Motor Oil, Special Olympics Minnesota and Mylan Inc. all severed ties with Peterson. Twin Cities area Nike stores pulled Peterson’s jerseys from its shelves and the team canceled an appearance at a children’s home.

Mark Wilf dismissed the suggestion 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.”

Peterson’s agent, Ben Dogra, said the decision was “the best possible outcome given the circumstances.”

Cardinals’ Dwyer arrested on assault charges: Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer was arrested Wednesday on aggravated assault charges in connection with two altercations at his home in July involving a woman and an 18-month-old child, the latest in a string of such cases involving NFL players.

The Cardinals said they became aware of the situation on Wednesday and are cooperating with the investigation. Dwyer was deactivated from all team activities.

The NFL said the case will be reviewed.

One of the counts was “aggravated assault causing a fracture” against the 27-year-old victim on July 21.

Neighbors heard a fight and called police, who showed up at the residence. Police Sgt. Trent Crump said Dwyer hid in the bathroom until police left. The next day, Crump said Dwyer snatched the woman’s cellphone and threw it from the second floor of their home to prevent her from calling police about another dispute.