Nike Inc., which has an endorsement contract with Adrian Peterson, said it was sticking with the athlete Wednesday, just before he was barred from his football team because of child-abuse allegations.
“Adrian Peterson remains a Nike athlete,” spokesman KeJuan Wilkins said in a e-mailed statement. “We are aware of the concerning allegations surrounding Adrian. We will continue to closely monitor the situation.”
The Minnesota Vikings placed Peterson on a National Football League exempt list requiring the 29-year-old star running back to stay away from all team activities until legal proceedings in his child-abuse case are resolved.
The move reversed a decision to let him play this week following pressure from fans, sponsors and Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton.
Nike, the world’s largest sporting-goods maker, also said merchandise tied to Peterson continues to be available for sale at its stores. The Associated Press said his gear had been pulled from Nike stores around Minneapolis. Nike, based in Beaverton, Oregon, didn’t address this in its statement and Wilkins hasn’t responded to additional requests for comment on that report.
– With assistance from Alex Duff in Madrid and Erik Matuszewski in New York.
