Getty Washington running back Adrian Peterson.
Former Washington Commanders running back and 2012 NFL Most Valuable Player Adrian Peterson has run into financial trouble despite making $103.25 million during his 15 NFL seasons.
According to ESPN, a judge in Houston has ordered Peterson, a Texas native, to forfeit assets at his Missouri City, Texas, home on Sept. 9 over an estimated $12 million debt. The judge assigned a court-appointed receiver and constables to go to the home to ensure a peaceful transfer of assets.
From ESPN: “Peterson’s debt issues began when he took out a loan for $5.2 million from a Pennsylvania lending company in 2016. The sum has grown due to interest and attorney’s fees, leading to an $8.3 million judgment against him in 2021.”
According to the court’s ruling, no payments have been made on the debt in the last 3 years.
Peterson, 39, hasn’t played in the NFL since spending 2021 with the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks.
Peterson One of NFL’s GOAT Running Backs
On the field, Peterson left little doubt as to his place among the greatest running backs in NFL history.
Taken No. 7 overall out of Oklahoma by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2007 NFL draft, Peterson would go on to become a 4-time NFL All-Pro, 7-time Pro Bowler and led the NFL in rushing 3 times.
In his NFL MVP season in 2012, Peterson rushed for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also owns the NFL single-game rushing record with 296 yards against the San Diego Chargers as a rookie in 2007.
After Peterson played the first decade of his career with the Vikings, he played for 6 teams over the next five seasons, including 2 seasons with Washington in 2018 and 2019. His last 1,000-yard rushing season came with Washington in 2018, when he started all 16 games and ran for 1,042 yards and 7 touchdowns.
November 4, 2007: Vikings’ rookie Adrian Peterson gets 296 rushing yards on 30 carries along with three TDs during a 35-17 win over the Chargers. The 296 rushing yards is a NFL single-game record that still stands today.
Peterson Has Long History of Off-Field Issues
Peterson has a long and complicated history of off-field issues, including an incident that cost him almost an entire season of his career in his prime.
In 2014, Peterson was indicted in Montgomery County, Texas, on charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child after he was accused of beating his 4-year-old son with a tree branch and causing “slash-like injuries” to the boy’s body.
Peterson was eventually suspended for all but 1 game of the 2014 season after he pled no contest to a misdemeanor charger of reckless assault to avoid jail time.
In 2018, Peterson was ordered to pay a Minnesota bank back after defaulting on a $600,000 loan. In 2019, he was ordered to pay a creditor in Minnesota $2.4 million.
In Feb. 2024, Houston-based TexMax Auctions had Peterson’s NFL MVP and NFL Rookie of the Year trophies up for sale in an online auction.
In a post on his X account that has since been removed, Peterson recorded a video in which he said he hadn’t authorized the sale of his personal memorabilia.
“I want to clarify recent rumors and media reports,” said, according to PEOPLE magazine. “An estate sale company without my authorization included some of my trophies in a sale, despite clear instructions to leave personal items untouched. I did not authorize the sale of any of my trophies, and I will be taking legal action.”
In Feb. 2022, Peterson was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on allegations of domestic violence after a reported incident with his wife on a flight to Houston. Those charges were later dropped.
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Former Commanders RB, NFL MVP Has Assets Seized Over $12M Debt