National Football League

Adrian Peterson breaks silence, plans to plead not guilty

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:31 p.m. ET

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Peterson's first court appearance is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET in Montgomery County, Texas, on Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for Peterson's attorney also confirmed the news to the Associated Press.

Peterson faces charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child after an incident where he used a switch (small tree branch) to discipline his son during a visit to Peterson's Texas home earlier this year.

On Monday, a story broke about Peterson using a credit card linked to his foundation for a sex orgy.

Peterson finally broke his silence with this tweet early Tuesday morning:

Peterson has said he never intended to harm his 4-year-old son by spanking him with a tree branch earlier this year. Prosecutor Phil Grant declined to comment Tuesday on whether the case could be settled without a trial. If convicted, Peterson faces up to two years in prison.

Peterson’s career with the Vikings is in limbo. Peterson was put on paid leave by the Vikings, using a special roster exemption from the NFL commissioner, a few days after the indictment. The chance of his case being resolved before the end of the season appears slim, but coach Mike Zimmer declined Tuesday to address speculation about Peterson's return to the team in 2014.

"Honestly, I want the best for Adrian, number one, OK? But I also have to coach the guys that are here and go forward. If things get resolved and it's a good thing, then the more power to him," Zimmer said. "We will worry about that when the time comes."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.