Adrian Peterson Reinstated By Minnesota Vikings After Missing Just ONE Game Following His Arrest For Severely Beating His 4-Year-Old Son With A Switch

 Adrian Peterson was arrested on Saturday for injuring his son
 The Vikings booted him from their roster in Sunday's 30-7 loss against the New England Patriots
 He will resume practice with the team today and will play next Sunday
 Peterson is the highest-paid player and the biggest star on the Vikings

Adrian Peterson is back playing for the Minnesota Vikings today after missing just one game following his arrested in Texas for severely whipping his 4-year-old son with a wooden switch.

Peterson, the Vikings' highest-paid player and biggest star, was booted from the team's roster for Sunday's 30-7 loss against the New England Patriots. However, he is back on the practice field today and will play next week against the New Orleans Saints.

'To be clear, we take very seriously any matter that involves the welfare of a child,' Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf said in a statement.

'At this time, however, we believe this is a matter of due process and we should allow the legal system to proceed so we can come to the most effective conclusions and then determine the appropriate course of action.'

Peterson turned himself into police in his hometown of Spring, Texas, on Saturday after detectives issued an arrest warrant for the May beating.

The boy had wounds on his thighs, backside and even his genitals following the beating.

Peterson has admitted to whipping his son, but his attorney said he was only using the discipline he himself had received as a child growing up in East Texas.
His lawyer says Peterson never meant to injure the child.

The Wilf brothers said they decided to bring Peterson back on the team after 'significant thought, discussion and consideration.

'As evidenced by our decision to deactivate Adrian from yesterday’s game, this is clearly a very important issue. On Friday, we felt it was in the best interests of the organization to step back, evaluate the situation, and not rush to judgment given the seriousness of this matter.

'At that time, we made the decision that we felt was best for the Vikings and all parties involved.'

Peterson's importance to the Vikings is hard to overstate. He is a former MVP who hold several NFL records for rushing. His six-year, $86million contract makes him by far the highest-paid player on the team.

His 1,266 rushing yards last season accounted for nearly a quarter of the entire team's offense. He scored ten of the team's 45 touchdowns.

Hours after the arrest, the Vikings decided not to play Peterson against the Patriots, moving swiftly after a week in which the NFL came under heavy scrutiny for its handling of a domestic violence case involving former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice.

But unlike a previous case involving former cornerback Chris Cook, the Vikings have decided to allow Peterson to return to the field while the legal process unfolds.

In 2011, the Vikings suspended cornerback Chris Cook with pay after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend and barred him from all team activities while his trial played out. Cook wound up missing 10 games and was eventually acquitted. He never faced discipline from the NFL and played two more seasons with the Vikings before signing with the 49ers.

The NFL is looking into Peterson's case, and if convicted he could face a minimum six-game suspension under the league's new tougher domestic abuse policy that was implemented after Commissioner Roger Goodell admitted he botched Rice's initial punishment.