Adrian Peterson's hearing begins
— -- The appeal hearing for Adrian Peterson ended Tuesday after more than three hours and will resume Thursday.
Peterson did not testify, but Harold Henderson, who heard the appeal, allowed the suspended Minnesota Vikings running back to make a statement, sources tell ESPN. The content of Peterson's statement is unknown.
Henderson has ordered NFL executive Troy Vincent to testify on Thursday, over the objections of the NFL, ESPN's Andrew Brandt reports.
Vincent was not at Tuesday's hearing because he was in Washington, D.C., to testify at a Congressional hearing on domestic violence.
As part of Peterson's hearing, the NFLPA submitted to the league a tape of a conversation between Vincent and Peterson in which Vincent allegedly tells Peterson he will be disciplined with time served and a two-game suspension if he attends a disciplinary hearing Nov. 14 with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
George Atallah, executive director of external affairs for the NFLPA, talked about the recording Tuesday on ESPN Radio's "Mike and Mike" program.
"We believe [Vincent] told him [Peterson] something to the effect of his time on the commissioner's list would be contributed to time served. We'll find out," he said.
"The two issues at play here ... first, what did Troy Vincent actually say ... the good news there is we have a recording of that conversation, so it's pretty indisputable what that conversation was about," Atallah added. "And the second-most critical thing is ... is Harold Henderson going to allow or force Troy to be cross examined about what he said. And that's something that we believe is important as part of the appeals hearing that Adrian Peterson is going to go through starting today. And we hope that is the case. That is the only thing that we would find to be fair."
Peterson taped the conversation with Vincent in mid-November in Texas, which is a "one-party consent state." That means a person can tape a conversation and is not legally bound to inform the person to whom they are speaking that the conversation is being recorded.
Peterson declined to attend the November hearing with Goodell. At the time, USA Today Sports reported Peterson told the league he would meet with Goodell to discuss potential discipline but would not attend the Nov. 14 hearing because there were too many unanswered questions about the process.
Four days later, on Nov. 18, the NFL suspended Peterson without pay for at least the remainder of the 2014 season for violating the league's personal conduct policy. He will not be eligible to apply for reinstatement until April 15, 2015.
Peterson immediately appealed the suspension.
The former NFL MVP hasn't played for the Vikings since Week 1 after he was charged with child abuse in Texas. He was placed on paid leave while the legal process played out, and he pleaded no contest Nov. 4 to misdemeanor reckless assault for injuring his 4-year-old son with a wooden switch.
The NFLPA has called the NFL's punishment "unprecedented, arbitrary, and unlawful.'' The union is arguing Peterson should get credit for time served on the exempt list.
Henderson, formerly the NFL's executive vice president for labor relations, was appointed by Goodell to hear Peterson's appeal, after the union asked for an independent hearing officer.
A decision on the appeal is expected within a week of the hearing's completion.
If Peterson loses his appeal, it is possible that the issue could end up in court, with Peterson and the NFLPA claiming they couldn't get fair arbitration after asking that Henderson recuse himself.
