Former Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson‘s financial troubles reached further escalation with a Houston judge ordering him to turn over assets to pay off over $12 million of debt, according to a September 10 ESPN report.
The Houston judge on Monday, September 9, ordered constables to accompany a court-appointed receiver to visit Peterson’s home in Missouri City, Texas, and ensure a peaceful transfer of his assets.
Peterson’s debt issues date back to his playing days. He took on a $5.2 million loan in 2016 to pay off other debts but interest rates and late fees have ballooned that debt to $8.3 million. Peterson defaulted on that loan in 2021 and has not made a payment in the following three years, according to the Houston court filing.
In 15 seasons in the NFL from 2007 to 2021, Peterson, 39, made over $100 million.
He won the league’s MVP award in 20212, earned four All-Pro nods and seven Pro Bowl selections and led the league in rushing three times in his career. Peterson ranks fifth all-time with 14,918 rushing yards along with 120 rushing touchdowns in 184 career games (167 starts).
Adrian Peterson’s Financial Woes Began After Vikings Released Him in 2016
Coming off knee surgery in 2016, Peterson’s future in Minnesota was murky with an $18 million option for the 2017 season ahead.
The writing was on the wall that the Vikings would decline his option, and Peterson’s prospects at the age of 32 weren’t great.
After making $12 million in 2016, Peterson signed an incentive-driven two-year deal with the New Orleans Saints following his release from the Vikings. He promised to pay back his initial $5.2 million loan in six months (by March 2017).
But Peterson was buried on the depth chart behind Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara, resulting in a midseason trade to the Arizona Cardinals.
He made a total of $3.5 million on the two-year deal that was structured to pay him up to $15 million if he hit every incentive.
Peterson is in an ongoing arbitration case with Morgan Stanley over a failed investment that led him to take out his current loan.
“The truth behind Adrian Peterson’s current financial situation is more than is being reported at this time. Because of ongoing legal matters, I’m unable to go into detail,” his lawyer, Chase Carlson, said in a statement in 2019, per The Athletic. “But I will say that this is yet another situation of an athlete trusting the wrong people and being taken advantage of by those he trusted. Adrian and his family look forward to sharing further details when appropriate.”
Adrian Peterson Pushes Back Against Personal Items Put Up for Auction
According to The Sporting News, several of Peterson’s awards and trophies went up for sale on an auction site in February 2024 as another inkling of his financial struggles.
Peterson went on social media to deny that those items were for sale.
“An estate sale company, without my authorization, included some of my trophies in a sale despite clear instructions to leave personal items untouched,” Peterson said in a video on X (formerly Twitter). “I want to emphasize that I am financially stable and would never sell off my hard-earned trophies.”
