Tom Pelissero

USA TODAY Sports

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell won't hear the appeal of Adrian Peterson's suspension. But the NFL Players Association isn't happy with who will.

The league announced Friday that Goodell has appointed appeals officer Harold Henderson to hear Peterson's appeal Dec. 2. Henderson spent 16 years as the NFL's executive vice president for labor relations and also worked in player development before retiring in 2012.

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith told USA TODAY Sports that "every legal, player and public option is on the table" after the league denied the union's demand for neutral arbitration, which it wants for all cases under a new personal conduct policy.

"To position a league lawyer as quote-unquote 'neutral' when he has to decide between inconsistent statements by league officials, the credibility of Troy Vincent and the unilateral actions of his boss can only be described as hubris," Smith said.

Under Article 46 of the collective-bargaining agreement, Goodell can hear appeals of discipline for off-field conduct or designate someone else to.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Henderson has heard 87 appeals since he was appointed an appeals officer in the summer of 2008. Most notable of late, Henderson upheld Josh Gordon's appeal of his drug suspension in August. Henderson also serves as president of the NFL Player Care Foundation, which is funded by the league and the union.

In 2008, Henderson reduced then-Denver Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall's suspension under the personal conduct policy from three games to one for a series of off-field incidents.

The union has accused Vincent, the NFL's executive vice president, of promising Peterson credit for "time served" for his nine weeks on the exempt list before the league suspended him Tuesday for at least the rest of this season. Jeff Pash, NFL executive vice president and general counsel, told ESPN Radio on Wednesday he's "quite confident that no one told (Peterson) that."

Vincent acknowledged Tuesday he told Peterson "all will be considered" if Peterson participated in a hearing involving outside experts Friday. But Peterson didn't go, citing unanswered questions about the process.

"He asked, 'Will anything be considered? The time missed?'" Vincent told USA TODAY Sports. "I said, 'The commissioner's open to everything. But you've got to come (to the hearing). All is open. All is on the table. All will be considered.'"

The NFLPA appealed Peterson's suspension Thursday and asked Goodell to recuse himself and anyone else in the league office.

In an extended interview with USA TODAY Sports later Thursday, Peterson said he recently has reconnected with the 4-year-old son he injured while disciplining him with a wooden "switch" in May, leading to a felony indictment. Peterson pled no-contest Nov. 4 to a misdemeanor reckless assault charge.