Former Commanders RB, $103 Million NFL MVP Arrested Following NFL Draft Party

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Washington running back Adrian Peterson.

The hits keep coming for former Washington Commanders running back Adrian Peterson.

ESPN reported Peterson was arrested in the early-morning hours of April 25 and charged with driving under the influence after he attended a public draft party for the Minnesota Vikings. Peterson played for the Vikings from 2007 to 2016 and was named NFL Most Valuable Player in 2012, when he rushed for 2,097 yards.

From ESPN’s Kevin Seifert: “Peterson had attended the Minnesota Vikings‘ public draft party Thursday night at U.S. Bank Stadium. He was received into custody at 5:16 a.m. CST and released on a $4,000 bond at 7:31 a.m. CST. The charge is a misdemeanor. Peterson’s next scheduled court date is May 9 in Minneapolis.”

According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Peterson was clocked by state troopers going 83 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour zone and registered a 0.14 blood alcohol level on a breathing test. The legal BAC limit in Minnesota is 0.08.

Peterson played 15 seasons in the NFL from 2007 to 2021 and finished his career with approximately $103.2 million in career earnings.

Financial, Legal Woes Continue to Follow Peterson

In September 2024, According to ESPN, a judge in Houston ordered Peterson, a Texas native, to forfeit assets at his Missouri City, Texas, home 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 were made on the debt in the previous 3 years. Peterson, 40, hasn’t played in the NFL since spending 2021 with the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks.

In 2014, Peterson was indicted in Montgomery County, Texas, on charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child. 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.

Peterson Among Greatest RBs in NFL History

Peterson, a 7-time NFL All-Pro and 7-time Pro Bowler, led the NFL in rushing 3 times and finished his career with 14,918 rushing yards, putting him at No. 5 on the NFL’s career rushing list. Only one active NFL player is in the Top 20, with Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry at No. 19 headed into the 2020 season.

The No. 7 overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft out of the University of Oklahoma, Peterson owns the NFL single-game rushing record with 296 yards in a game against the San Diego Chargers in 2007.

He will become eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the first time in 2027.