AP

When the NFL wants to do something quickly, it does. Ray Rice received an indefinite suspension the same day the video of his elevator assault emerged, even though he’d already been suspended. Likewise, after Adrian Peterson was indicted in Texas, the NFL swiftly brokered a deal that kept him off the field until his legal case was resolved.

Now that Peterson’s legal case has been resolved, the NFL has shown no inclination to move quickly — even though Peterson’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, made it clear on Wednesday’ PFT Live that Peterson wants to return to the Vikings now.

Confirming the inescapable impression the league’s inaction has created, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports has reported that the NFL already declined to grant Peterson immediate reinstatement, or to engage in advance negotiations regarding the consequences of his plea agreement, before he accepted the deal that reduced the pending felony charges to a misdemeanor. If that’s true (and as best we can tell it is), the NFL needs to consider the benefit the league has realized from Peterson’s willingness to strike a deal and avoid a circus-style trial. As a general rule, the league needs to abandon the wait-and-see approach that has applied in the past to potential personal-conduct policy violations, helping the player understand exactly what the consequences will be if he accepts an agreement to resolve a pending criminal case.

Now that Peterson’s case is over, there’s no reason for the parties to not attempt to work something out, or for Peterson to be reinstated until a decision is reached. He has missed eight games while the case was pending. How many more will he miss while the NFL bides its time?

There’s a sense within the NFLPA that the delay possibly originates with the Vikings, who fear another backlash if Peterson returns too quickly. And so the league office provides cover for the team, keeping Peterson on ice for a couple extra weeks before issuing a final decision on his status.

Whatever the decision, it needs to come quickly. Specifically, it needs to come by next Tuesday. And if/when it becomes clear that it won’t, Rusty Hardin and/or the NFLPA need to load the legal cannon, point it at 345 Park Avenue, and light the fuse.

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