Former Vikings RB Adrian Peterson set the standard for running backs during his stellar NFL career, but a new development on Tuesday is the latest indication he's fallen on hard times in his post-playing career.
A judge ruled that Peterson needs to turn over several assets to help pay a $12 million debt, a hefty bill that the former MVP hasn't been able to pay despite making more money than any running back in NFL history.
Some of the first signs of trouble surfaced in February when memorabilia owned by Peterson was listed for auction on a third-party site. Peterson said the personal memorabilia was put up for auction without his permission and strongly denied any financial problems but did admit he hired an unnamed company to put some items up for auction.
Here's what you need to know about Peterson's debt and how much money he made over his 15-year NFL career.
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Adrian Peterson career earnings
Peterson made $103.2 million during his NFL career, according to Spotrac.
While running backs have received the short end of the market over the past few years, Peterson was in such a high echelon during much of his career that he did quite well for himself.
Peterson signed a six-year, $86.3M million extension with the Vikings in 2011, and he would make $94.7 million of his career earnings during his time in Minnesota.
Even in 2024, Peterson remains the highest-earning running back in NFL history by a wide margin. Dallas' Ezekiel Elliott is second among running backs with $73.7 million in career earnings. 49ers star Christian McCaffrey on track to surpass $80 million this year, but to this point, no other running back has even approached the $100 million mark.
Adrian Peterson debt
Peterson is facing $12.5 million in debt stemming from a $5.2 million loan he took out in 2016. The figure grew due to attorney's fees and interest, ESPN reported, and no payment has been made toward the debt to this point.
Peterson planned to use the loan to pay back other loans, but the Vikings declined his option after the 2016 season, and the former All-Pro earned a much lower salary for the remainder of his career. Peterson spent his past five seasons with six different teams and made it clear earlier this year that he's still open to playing football.
Items that initially went up for auction in February included Peterson's MVP, Offensive Player of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year trophies, as well as signed Vikings jerseys and game balls. The listed memorabilia even included a Twins jersey signed by Joe Mauer and a "Sunday Night Football" hat signed by John Madden.
While Peterson quickly denounced the posting of those items, the news that he's facing massive debt speaks to why the situation got to that point.
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Adrian Peterson stats
| Stat | Total |
| Games | 184 |
| Rushing yards | 14,918 |
| Rushing TD | 120 |
| Yards/carry | 4.6 |
| Receptions | 305 |
| Receiving yards | 2,474 |
| Receiving TD | 6 |
Peterson is fifth all-time with 14,918 rushing yards, trailing only Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, Frank Gore, and Barry Sanders. He's also fourth in rushing touchdowns with 120, behind Smith, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Marcus Allen.
Longevity is one reason Peterson was able to accumulate big numbers, but his dominance was the much bigger factor. Peterson is the most recent non-quarterback to win MVP, and he led the NFL in rushing three times. A four-time All-Pro, Peterson's 2,097-yard season in 2012 less than a year removed from a torn ACL placed him second on the single-season rushing list.
