Source: Adrian Peterson to appeal

— -- Adrian Peterson has been suspended without pay for at least the remainder of the 2014 season.

The NFL announced its highly anticipated ruling Tuesday morning, stating that the  Minnesota Vikings star running back will not be considered for reinstatement before April 15, 2015, for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

The NFL Players Association released a statement later Tuesday morning, announcing that it will appeal Peterson's suspension because "the discipline imposed is inconsistent."

Peterson was indicted in September on a felony charge of injury to a child for using a wooden switch to discipline his 4-year-old son earlier this year. But the All-Pro pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of misdemeanor reckless assault earlier this month, setting the stage for the NFL's ruling.

The league announced Peterson's suspension in a lengthy statement, citing "an incident of abusive discipline that he inflicted on his four-year-old son."

The statement also included excerpts of a letter to Peterson written by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who has required that Peterson undergoes counseling and treatment in order to be reinstated.

"We are prepared to put in place a program that can help you to succeed, but no program can succeed without your genuine and continuing engagement," Goodell wrote in the letter. "You must commit yourself to your counseling and rehabilitative effort, properly care for your children, and have no further violations of law or league policy."

The NFL stated that Peterson and the NFL Players Association did not provide the league with information that "would be relevant to evaluating Peterson's conduct." The league also claimed that Peterson, his representatives and the union would not participate in a disciplinary hearing that had been scheduled for last week.

The union responded with its statement, which cited a "credibility gap" within the NFL's disciplinary process.

"The decision by the NFL to suspend Adrian Peterson is another example of the credibility gap that exists between the agreements they make and the actions they take," the NFLPA statement said. "Since Adrian's legal matter was adjudicated, the NFL has ignored their obligations and attempted to impose a new and arbitrary disciplinary proceeding.

"The facts are that Adrian has asked for a meeting with Roger Goodell, the discipline imposed is inconsistent and an NFL executive told Adrian that his time on the Commissioner's list would be considered as time served. The NFLPA will appeal this suspension and will demand that a neutral arbitrator oversee the appeal. We call on the NFL Management Council to show our players and our sponsors leadership by committing to collective bargaining so a fair personal conduct policy can be implemented as quickly as possible."

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter contributed to this report.