A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell were within their rights when Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson was suspended six games in 2014 after he was charged with child abuse, a case that heightened a dispute over league discipline.
Peterson’s disciplinary sanction came under the personal conduct policy the league toughened following a brutal act of domestic violence committed by Baltimore running back Ray Rice that was caught on camera.
A three-judge panel of the Eighth US Circuit Court of Appeals said an arbitrator, Harold Henderson, acted appropriately by upholding Goodell’s suspension of Peterson. US District Judge David Doty had tossed out Henderson’s ruling, saying he overreached his authority, but the appellate panel restored it.
Peterson was suspended after he was charged with child abuse over disciplining his 4-year-old son with a wooden switch. He wound up playing only one game that season.
The three-judge panel wrote that the players’ union and the league both agreed to be bound by the arbitrator’s decision, and that Henderson had acted within his authority.
Although the NFL had no immediate comment on the ruling, the NFL Players Association issued a statement of resignation.
‘‘Our union pursues all claims because we believe in due process, fundamental fairness and in the spirit of collective bargaining agreements. While the NFLPA disagrees with the decision, we accept this loss,’’ the union said. ‘‘When negotiation or collective bargaining fails to resolve our differences, we will always fight and pursue every recourse for our players’ rights.’’
Falcons move swiftly
The Atlanta Falcons cut rookie free agent linebacker Torrey Green amid news Utah law enforcement authorities were investigating allegations of sexual assault made against Green while he was a student at Utah State last year.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Green was cut Thursday morning after the team learned of the allegations the night before.
‘‘We don’t want anybody connected to the organization who has those kinds of accusations around them,’’ Blank said.
Logan Police Captain Curtis Hooley said his department investigated three allegations of sexual assault made by three women against Green in January and November of 2015.
Hooley said two cases were closed because there wasn’t enough evidence to warrant charges, but a third case is still open while police investigate and speak to witnesses who were friends of the woman.
Cowboys assess QBs
The Dallas Cowboys appeared to be in no rush to get a veteran quarterback behind Tony Romo, even though executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones has said they want to add one after Kellen Moore broke his right ankle Tuesday in training camp.
Dallas was in pursuit of free agent Nick Foles a day after losing Moore, but the former NFC East rival from Philadelphia agreed to a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown has also surfaced as a possible backup candidate.
The 37-year-old McCown, whose season was cut short after he broke his collarbone in a 33-27 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 30, has been in a training camp competition with Robert Griffin III for the Browns’ starting job.
For now, the Cowboys will give longer looks to a pair of young players with no NFL experience: rookie fourth-round pick Dak Prescott, who ran the first team in practice during Romo’s day off Thursday, and second-year player Jameill Showers, who spent most of last season on the practice squad.
Tough break for DE
Ravens rookie defensive end Bronson Kaufusi, a 6-foot-6-inch, 285-pounder from Brigham Young who was Baltimore’s third-round pick (70th overall) in the draft, will miss the 2016 season after breaking his left ankle during practice Thursday. The injury occurred when another player fell on Kaufusi’s leg during a non-live drill . . . Buffalo Bills outside linebacker Manny Lawson said he expects to return in time for the start of the regular season from a partially torn pectoral muscle, which he suffered July 25 while lifting weights at the team’s gym . . . The Carolina Panthers made NFL history by holding a joint practice with a high school football team from Spartanburg (S.C.) High, which went through warmups and had a chance to interact with the reigning NFC champions at the team’s traininig camp at Wofford College before breaking off to do their own work on an adjacent field.
