MINNEAPOLIS — All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson could be on the trading block if even uglier details emerge from his felony child abuse case in Houston, The Post has learned.
An NFL source familiar with the thinking of the Vikings’ ownership group said Sunday the only certainty is Peterson won’t be released because of his shocking indictment Friday afternoon.
But everything else — including the long-shot possibility of a trade — is still on the table after the Minnesota star was arrested and jailed over the weekend for allegedly injuring his 4-year-old son last May by brutally beating him with a thin tree limb while the child was naked.
If convicted, Peterson could be sentenced to as much as two years in jail and a $10,000 fine.
The Vikings acted quickly after the indictment became public, making Peterson inactive for what turned into a 30-7 blowout loss on Sunday afternoon to the Patriots at TCF Bank Stadium.
Vikings principal owner Zygi Wilf also scheduled a conference call Sunday night with general manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer to go over the team’s options and next steps.
Peterson, meanwhile, remained in limbo. He did not attend the game against New England, and it was unknown if he had returned to Minneapolis following his formal arrest Saturday in Houston.
Peterson’s only comment Sunday came when he tweeted a picture of a Bible passage that warned against judging people.
The ball still appears to be in the Vikings’ court as far as punishing Peterson because the team’s ownership doesn’t expect the NFL to formally discipline the star runner unless he is convicted of the charges, the league source told The Post.
The Vikings can continue to deactivate Peterson, but it would be with pay. The team could suspend him without pay for conduct detrimental to the team, but the NFL’s labor agreement limits that to four games before Peterson would have to be reinstated or released.
The one thing the Vikings’ New Jersey-based ownership group has ruled out is copying what the Ravens did with Ray Rice last week and cutting Peterson outright, the league source said.
If further details emerge out of Peterson’s case that would make keeping him untenable to the Wilfs, the league source said the team likely would try to swing a trade rather than simply turn loose its most valuable football asset.
A trade, though, would be unlikely for several reasons.
Peterson turns 30 in March, which is an age for running backs that turns off most scouts. The Vikings also would be making Peterson available only if the child-abuse details get much worse, a development that likely would make Peterson too hot to touch for other teams, too.
At least in the short term, the Vikings certainly missed Peterson here Sunday. His young replacement, Matt Asiata, mustered just 36 yards in 13 carries and quarterback Matt Cassel was awful without the threat of Peterson’s running, tossing four interceptions.
Peterson’s teammates appeared to be under orders not to discuss the situation afterward, with several of the Vikings’ most prominent players refusing all comment.
Cassel was one of the few who made his feelings known, saying he was blindsided by the indictment.
“I was shocked, probably like everybody else,” Cassel said. “I don’t know enough about the circumstances at this point, but it’s unfortunate for everyone involved.”
Zimmer, the Vikings’ first-year coach, was testy on the subject of Peterson afterward, repeatedly claiming Peterson’s absence wasn’t a big factor and refusing to discuss it in any detail.
“We’re just trying to get through the weekend now,” Zimmer said. “We’ll talk about it next week.”