( CNN ) -- There was lots of news in the NFL this weekend . Little of it had to do with the pigskin . Domestic violence has dominated professional football 's story lines for weeks , and this weekend saw three star players miss their games because of issues at home . A black cloud hangs over a fourth player as California 's lieutenant governor requested that the San Francisco 49ers bench a defensive end as his domestic violence case navigates the court system . Here is what you may have missed : . Ray Rice was initially cleared to play next week , until footage of him brutalizing his then-fiancee in an Atlantic City , New Jersey , hotel elevator surfaced . Once the video was made public , the Baltimore Ravens cut Rice , and the NFL made his suspension indefinite . There are reports that Rice intends to appeal the new punishment . Sen. Amy Klobuchar , D-Minnesota , who joined 15 other women senators in asking NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to institute a zero-tolerance policy for domestic violence , has said it 's `` outrageous '' the NFL did n't try harder to obtain the tape . Goodell has said no one in the league office saw footage of Rice striking Janay Palmer until TMZ posted the video online . `` I have a feeling there 's a lot of people that know stuff , what went on here , '' Klobuchar told CNN on Sunday . `` I 'm waiting to see if there is a major cover-up . If it shows ( Goodell ) lies , there could be many factual situations where , in fact , he should step down . '' Adrian Peterson turned himself in to authorities in East Texas on Saturday after a grand jury indicted him on felony child abuse charges . He quickly posted $ 15,000 in bail and was released , the Montgomery County Sheriff 's Office said . The Minnesota Vikings star running back , considered one of the best -- if not the best -- in the NFL , missed his team 's game against the New England Patriots on Sunday . State law says an accused person can defend himself against the charge Peterson faces if he can demonstrate he was administering reasonable discipline . While the prosecutor in the case alleges Peterson hurt his child `` with criminal negligence or recklessly , '' Peterson 's attorney says his client used a switch to spank his son , thus doling out discipline much like `` he experienced as a child growing up in East Texas . '' Greg Hardy was set to take the field Sunday , despite being convicted of domestic violence this summer and facing a jury trial in an appeals court later this year . That changed shortly before game time when the Carolina Panthers announced he would sit out the team 's match against the Detroit Lions . Authorities say Hardy in May choked his then-girlfriend , threw her around , dragged her by her hair and threatened to kill her . He was sentenced in July to 18 months of probation and a 60-day suspended sentence . The 6-foot-4 , 275-pound defensive end says he is innocent and has appealed a guilty verdict rendered by a Mecklenburg County judge in North Carolina , but many observers wondered how Rice could face suspension , but not Hardy . Despite sitting Hardy , the Panthers were accused of reacting to the new climate regarding domestic violence rather than any acting out of any concern about the crime or victim . Coach Ray Rivera acknowledged the changed climate and said in post-game remarks , `` We really do have to get this right . '' Sports Illustrated 's Richard Deitsch was not impressed with Hardy 's last-minute benching . `` They ceded to press/public pressure . It was disgrace it took this long , '' he tweeted . Ray McDonald had two tackles in the San Francisco 49ers ' Sunday Night Football game against the Chicago Bears , but according to Sports Illustrated , Goodell was not in attendance . Goodell , who often attends stadium openings and was reportedly scheduled to be at Levi 's Stadium for its christening , is under fire for his handling of the Rice case , prompting the women 's rights group Ultraviolet to fly banners over NFL stadiums with the hashtag , # GoodellMustGo . Police were called to a birthday party at McDonald 's home about 3 a.m. on August 31 and determined McDonald had been involved in an altercation with his fiancee , who was 10 weeks pregnant , The Sacramento Bee reported . She showed police minor bruises on her arms and neck , the paper reported . McDonald told CNN affiliate KTVU that `` the truth will come out '' after he was released from jail on felony domestic violence charges . California Lt. Gov . Gavin Newsom asked the 49ers to bench their defensive tackle Sunday , saying the team 's `` continued insistence on playing Ray McDonald during his ongoing criminal investigation is a painful affront to every victim of domestic violence and sends a troubling message to our community and especially our children that 'zero tolerance ' are empty words , not real actions . '' CNN 's Eliott C. McLaughlin , Mary Grace Lucas , Candy Crowley , Greg Botelho , Ray Sanchez , Steve Almasy , Kevin Conlon and Holly Yan contributed to this report .
Senator : NFL commissioner should resign if there was a cover - up in the Ray Rice case . Adrian Peterson turns himself in , posts bond , claims innocence in child abuse case . The Carolina Panthers sit Greg Hardy at the last minute as his jury trial in appeals court looms . There are calls for coaches to bench Ray McDonald , as Roger Goodell announces stadium opening .