Adrian Peterson could be returning to the NFL. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge David Doty overturned NFL official Harold Henderson's refusal of Peterson's appeal, and now the Minnesota Vikings running back could possibly join the league once again.

Adrian Peterson Sorry For What Happened To His Son

On Friday, ESPN reported that Doty issued his order on Thursday, after listening to arguments for less than three weeks.

Peterson was suspended from the NFL for failing to comply with the personal conduct policy. Peterson was involved in a child abuse scandal after disciplining his son with a switch and leaving marks on his legs.

Adrian Peterson To Plead Not Guilty Over Reported Child Abuse Charges?

Brian McCarthy, a spokesman for the NFL said that the league disagrees with the judge's decision and they plan to appeal.

"We believe strongly that Judge Doty's order is incorrect and fundamentally at odds with well-established legal precedent governing the district court's role in reviewing arbitration decisions," McCarthy said. "As a result, we have filed a notice of appeal to have the ruling reviewed by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals."

According to McCarthy, Peterson will be placed on the commissioner's exempt list which allows a player and a team to communicate, however he will not be immediately reinstated.

Back in November, Yahoo! News reported the Vikings player sat down with USA Today and he was completely apologetic about what happened to his son and vowed to never use a switch to discipline his children again.

"I spanked my child and no matter what my intentions were, I ended up leaving those marks on his legs," Peterson said during his interview with USA Today.

"That's not what I tried to do, but that's what ended up happening. Don't put me in the same [category as Rice]."

Peterson also admitted that he is very remorseful for his actions and would love to return to the Minnesota Vikings or have a fresh start with another NFL team.