NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will not hear running back Adrian Peterson's appeal on Dec. 2. Instead, he has appointed Harold Henderson for the appeal, though it might not make a difference.

"Under Article 46 (Commissioner Discipline), appeals of discipline for off-field conduct are heard and decided by the commissioner or his designee," a league spokesman said of Henderson's appointment. "Harold Henderson has been designated as the hearing officer for this appeal. Harold has served for many years as a hearing officer for Article 46 discipline."

And Henderson, who in the past served as NFL Executive Vice President for Labor Relations and Chairman of the NFL Management Council Executive Committee, has often sided with the league.

The latest example of this was earlier this year when he upheld the league's 10-game ban of Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon after his latest violation of the league's substance abuse policy.

The NFL Players Association reacted to Henderson's appointment by saying a longtime NFL executive could not be neutral. The NFL responded by defending Henderson, saying he has heard 87 appeals under the CBA since 2008 and that language in every CBA since 1993 has stated the appeals of discipline for off-field conduct are heard and decided by the commissioner or his designee.