Story highlights Adrian Peterson was accused of abusing another child, KHOU reports 
 
 DA says he expects Peterson to be at next court date in October 
 
 The running back was indicted on a felony child abuse charge and missed Sunday's game 
 
 Vikings: Peterson should play while legal process plays out 
 
 Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson said Monday that he is "not a perfect parent, but I am, without a doubt, not a child abuser." 
 
 Peterson, one of the NFL's marquee players, will practice this week and can play in Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints, despite facing a child abuse charge, team officials said. 
 
 Peterson, who was kept out of Sunday's game against the New England Patriots, turned himself in to East Texas authorities Saturday , two days after an indictment alleged the 29-year-old father did "recklessly or by criminal negligence cause bodily injury" to his son, a felony. 
 
 Peterson quickly posted $15,000 in bail and was released, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. 
 
 In his first comments on the case, the reinstated NFL star told fans in a written statement posted on his Twitter feed , "I never imagined being in a position where the world is judging my parenting skills or calling me a child abuser because of the discipline I administered to my son." 
 
 Despite being advised by his attorney not to discuss details of the case, Peterson wrote, "I want everyone to understand how sorry I feel about the hurt I have brought to my child." 
 
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 He said that he voluntarily appeared before a grand jury and told its members the same thing, which also matches what he said he told two different police agencies about the incident. 
 
 "I will say the same thing once I have my day in court," he wrote. 
 
 In disciplining his son in the same manner as Peterson himself was disciplined as a child, he wrote, he unintentionally caused the boy injury. He understands that there are people who disagree with this form of discipline, he said, and he has met with a psychologist who informed him of more "appropriate" ways to discipline children. 
 
 "But deep in my heart I have always believed I could have been one of those kids that was lost in the streets without the discipline instilled in me by my parents and other relatives," he wrote. "I have always believed that the way my parents disciplined me has a great deal to do with the success I have enjoyed as a man. I love my son and I will continue to become a better parent and learn from any mistakes I ever make." 
 
 He closed his statement by saying that while he isn't the perfect parent, he is not a child abuser. 
 
 "My goal is always to teach my son right from wrong and that's what I tried to do that day," he wrote. "I accept the fact that people feel very strongly about this issue and what they think about my conduct. Regardless of what others think, however, I love my son very much and I will continue to try to become a better father and person." 
 
 Team stands behind its star player 
 
 General manager Rick Spielman said more information about the incident was available to the Vikings then the team had on Friday when it placed Peterson, a six-time Pro Bowler in his first seven seasons, on the inactive list. 
 
 "This is a difficult path to navigate regarding the judgment of how a parent disciplines his child," Spielman told reporters. "Based on the extensive information that we have right now, and what we know about Adrian not only as a person but what he has also done for this community, we believe he deserves to play while this legal process plays out." 
 
 The developments came as CNN affilaite KHOU reported that Peterson allegedly abused another one of his children -- a 4-year-old son. 
 
 Sources told KHOU that the mother of the child filed a complaint with Child Protective Services in Texas because she alleged that Peterson beat the child, while visiting his father at his Houston-area home. 
 
 According to the report, text messages between Peterson and the boy's mother show that Peterson admitted disciplining the child, but he claims the child hit his head on the car seat in the process. 
 
 No charges were ever filed, according to KHOU. 
 
 CNN reached out CPS, but has not received a response. 
 
 Through his attorney Rusty Hardin, Peterson vehemently denied the report. 
 
 "The allegation of another investigation into Adrian Peterson is simply not true. This is not a new allegation. It's one that is unsubstantiated and was shopped around to authorities in two states over a year ago and nothing came of it," Hardin said. "An adult witness adamantly insists Adrian did nothing inappropriate with his son." 
 
 One of the team's sponsors, the Radisson hotel chain, announced Monday night that it was suspending its "limited sponsorship of the Minnesota Vikings while we evaluate the facts and circumstances." 
 
 Report: Photos show alleged injuries 
 
 Peterson's attorney has said his client used "a switch to spank his son" and was simply doling out discipline much like "he experienced as a child growing up in East Texas." 
 
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 Peterson "will continue to insist on his innocence of any intended wrongdoing," Hardin said Friday. 
 
 Photos obtained by TMZ allegedly show Peterson's son's leg covered in marks that could have come from a switch, or thin tree branch. Some of the marks in the photo appeared to have broken the skin. 
 
 "The photos are disturbing, I understand that. But to be clear, you know any matter that's involving the child is very important for this organization. But we also think that it is right for him to go through the process legally," Spielman said. 
 
 SportsRadio 610 in Houston reported this past weekend that Peterson allegedly sent text messages to the boy's mother in Minnesota after the lashing. 
 
 Peterson wrote he "felt bad after the fact when I notice the switch was wrapping around hitting I (sic) thigh." 
 
 Another text was more graphic. 
 
 "Got him in the nuts once I noticed," it read, according to the CBS radio affiliate in Houston. "But I felt so bad, n i'm all tearing that butt up when needed! I start putting them in timeout. N save the whooping for needed memories!" 
 
 The station said a later message from Peterson was: "Never do I go overboard! But all my kids will know, hey daddy has the biggie heart but don't play no games when it comes to acting right." 
 
 Due in court on October 8 
 
 Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Phil Grant, whose office made the case against Peterson to a grand jury over a period of weeks, said prosecutors "will take this charge extremely seriously and we look forward to presenting this case to a jury." 
 
 The next step is a preliminary court hearing that is scheduled for October 8. Grant said he expected Peterson to be there, although the decision is up to a judge. 
 
 According to Texas law, people can be convicted of injury to a child if they cause bodily or mental injury "intentionally, knowingly, recklessly or with criminal negligence" or cause such harm by omission. The crime is punishable by up to two years in a state jail and a $1,000 fine. 
 
 In Texas, someone can defend himself against a charge of injury to a child if he can prove it happened while he was administering "reasonable discipline," Grant said. 
 
 "Obviously, parents are entitled to discipline their children as they see fit, except for when that discipline exceeds what the community would say is reasonable," he said. "And so, a grand jury, having indicted this case, looked at the injuries that were inflicted upon this child and determined that that discipline was not reasonable." 
 
 As the NFL reviews the running back's actions under its personal conduct policy, the Vikings owners said they will "monitor the situation closely." 
 
 Referring to the decision to keep Peterson out of Sunday's game, the Vikings owners, who are brothers, said, "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 is considered one of the best running backs in the NFL -- if not the best. His absence was probably felt during the Vikings' 30-7 loss to the Patriots on Sunday. 
 
 In 2011, he agreed to a lucrative contract, which NFL.com reported would be worth $100 million over a 7-year period. ||||| EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have seen the details. They have seen photos of the injuries that Adrian Peterson's 4-year-old son suffered at the hands of the star running back. They have a history of punishing players who have run into trouble with the law. 
 
 FILE - In this Sept. 7, 2014, file photo, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson warms up for an NFL football game against the St. Louis Rams in St. Louis. The Vikings benched Peterson for Sunday's... (Associated Press) 
 
 Vikings general manger Rick Spielman talks with reporters Monday, Sept. 15 , 2014. in Eden Prairie ,Minn., about the decision to play Adrain Peterson Sunday at New Orleans. The Vikings had benched... (Associated Press) 
 
 This photo provided by the Montgomery County sheriff’s office shows the booking photo of Adrian Peterson. Peterson was indicted in Texas for using a branch to spank one of his sons and the Minnesota... (Associated Press) 
 
 Minneosta Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer speaks at a news conference at the team's training facility in Eden Prairie on Monday, Sept. 15, 2014. The Vikings announced Monday that running back Adrian Peterson... (Associated Press) 
 
 The Vikings brought Peterson back to the team anyway even as the public furor over the NFL's approach to addressing domestic abuse reached a fever pitch. 
 
 The Vikings reinstated Peterson on Monday, one day after he sat out a 30-7 home loss to the New England Patriots after he was charged with a felony in Texas for using a wooden switch to spank his son. Peterson, who said he was using a form of discipline his father used on him as a boy, is expected to play against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. 
 
 "We are trying to do the right thing," Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said. "This is a difficult path to navigate regarding the judgment of how a parent disciplines his child. Based on the extensive information we have right now and what we know of Adrian not only as a person but what he's done for this community, we believe he deserves to play while the legal process plays out." 
 
 Peterson didn't talk with reporters, but issued a statement in which he insisted he is not a child abuser and wanted "everyone to understand how sorry I feel about the hurt I have brought to my child." 
 
 "I am not a perfect son. I am not a perfect husband. I am not a perfect parent, but I am, without a doubt, not a child abuser," Peterson said in a nearly 500-word statement issued through his agency. "I am someone that disciplined his child and did not intend to cause him any injury. 
 
 "No one can understand the hurt that I feel for my son and for the harm I caused him. My goal is always to teach my son right from wrong and that's what I tried to do that day." 
 
 Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf said they decided to bring back Peterson for practices and Sunday's game at New Orleans "after significant thought, discussion and consideration." The Wilfs said they want to let the case play out before making any more definitive decisions on Peterson's future with the only NFL team he has ever played for. 
 
 "To be clear, we take very seriously any matter that involves the welfare of a child," they said. "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." 
 
 The Wilfs were not available for further comment on Monday but Spielman said they are going to leave the decision about whether Peterson crossed a line while disciplining his son up to the courts. 
 
 "For a league full of people that claim to care about leadership, there sure seems to be a bunch of followers," ESPN analyst and former quarterback Tim Hasselbeck tweeted. 
 
 Peterson faces a charge of reckless or negligent injury to a child, which carries penalties of up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine. His initial court appearance in Conroe, Texas, near Houston, was scheduled for Oct. 8. 
 
 Corporal punishment is legal in Texas and non-deadly force against a child by a parent or guardian is permissible. But the punishment is abusive if it causes injury. A blow that leaves a bruise, welt or swelling, or requires medical attention, could be judged abusive. The guidelines also say use of an instrument "is cause for concern." 
 
 Peterson's attorney, Rusty Hardin, said Peterson used a switch because that was the way he was brought up by his parents in Palestine, Texas, and the NFL star agreed. 
 
 "I have to live with the fact that when I disciplined my son the way I was disciplined as a child, I caused an injury that I never intended or thought would happen," Peterson said. "I know that many people disagree with the way I disciplined my child. I also understand after meeting with a psychologist that there are other alternative ways of disciplining a child that may be more appropriate." 
 
 He noted that many people feel "very strongly" about corporal punishment, but said "regardless of what others think, however, I love my son very much and I will continue to try to become a better father and person." 
 
 The Vikings decided to sit 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. 
 
 Spielman said the Vikings have seen files the authorities have built on Peterson's case, including some photos of the injuries the boy sustained. 
 
 "The photos are disturbing. I understand that," Spielman said. "But to be clear, any matter that's involving the child is very important for this organization. But we also think it is right for him to go through the process legally." 
 
 The Vikings clearly see Peterson's case as different from the 2011 case involving former cornerback Chris Cook, who was accused of choking his girlfriend and charged with domestic assault. Cook was suspended by the team, reinstated with pay and then barred from all team activities, including games, while the legal process unfolded. 
 
 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 Vikings also cut cornerback A.J. Jefferson last year, less than a day after he was arrested for domestic assault. In 2012, the Vikings cut practice squad running back Caleb King hours after he was released from jail after allegedly inflicting serious harm on another man in a fight. 
 
 "Why are due process rights only reserved for the privileged (and) for those at the top of the roster?" former linebacker Scott Fujita tweeted. 
 
 But Spielman steadfastly denied the team's decision on Peterson had anything to do with his status as one of the best players in the league and his ability to help the team win. 
 
 "It has nothing to do with him as a football player," Spielman said. "It's based purely on the facts that we have that have been presented to us." 
 
 The NFL is looking into Peterson's case, and if convicted he could face a minimum six-game suspension under the league's new domestic abuse policy that was implemented after Commissioner Roger Goodell admitted he botched Rice's initial punishment. 
 
 Coach Mike Zimmer said he had input during deliberations, but ultimately it was ownership's decision to let him play again. 
 
 "It's important that when I ask these players to do the things I ask them to do, to fight for me, to run through the wall for me, that I'm able do my very best to help support them when I can," Zimmer said. 
 
 The Vikings' decision to reinstate Peterson came on the same day the NFL announced that three experts in domestic violence will serve as senior advisers to the league and help shape policy. 
 
 ___ 
 
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– The NFL has been rocked by domestic violence allegations, most notably in the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson cases, but Peterson will play Sunday against the Saints after being reinstated by the Vikings today, the AP reports. As debate rages on about what punishment should be doled out to the running back for allegedly abusing his 4-year-old son—with some saying the discipline he administered is "perfectly legal"—Vikings GM Rick Spielman says the team is "trying to do the right thing," adding the team "[believes] he deserves to play while the legal process plays out." Meanwhile, Peterson issued a statement today through his agency in which he said he wants "everyone to understand how sorry I feel about the hurt I have brought to my child. I am not a perfect son. I am not a perfect husband. I am not a perfect parent, but I am, without a doubt, not a child abuser."