AP

If there was any doubt that Vikings running back Adrian Peterson wants to return to the field ASAP, there shouldn’t be.

Attorney Rusty Hardin, appearing on Wednesday’s PFT Live, made it clear that Peterson hopes to be on the field playing for the Vikings when they return to action on November 16 against the Bears.

At a time when it seems that the NFL is prepared to move at its own speed, Hardin would prefer a speedy effort to get everyone in the same room and work this out.

“It takes only an airplane trip to do it,” Hardin said. “I’m hoping that can be done quickly and I’m hoping the NFL is receptive to it and agrees to it and get this issue off the front page, because it’s time for him to go back and . . . play football.”

The league has declined to provide a timetable or to shed any other light on what will transpire. It’s possible that a hearing of some sort will be scheduled.

Regardless, it all needs to move quickly — as quickly as if it would if a player were facing an in-season suspension for any other infraction that keeps him from playing until his rights have been exercised.

And if the league claims that it can’t move quickly because it didn’t anticipate this specific development (a contention that hasn’t been made yet but could be), please. For the potential outcomes for a felony case headed for trial on December 1, a plea agreement resides fairly close to the top of the Family Feud board.

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