Adrian Peterson Ordered to Liquidate Assets to Settle Massive Debt

Adrian Peterson has been directed by a Houston judge to surrender various assets to help settle his substantial debt, which is believed to exceed $12 million. This latest ruling is part of an ongoing legal issue stemming from a loan Peterson secured in 2016 from a Pennsylvania lending firm. The funds were originally intended to pay off other creditors, according to court documents.

After failing to repay the loan, interest accumulation resulted in an $8.3 million judgment against him in 2021. Peterson’s initial plan had been to settle this loan by March 2017, shortly before he became a free agent. He sought an advance on a prospective $18 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings, which fell through when the team opted not to exercise his contract option.

The purpose behind Peterson’s loan request was to “consolidate, reduce the rate and defer payments on existing unsecured debt.” However, things did not go as planned, leading to his current financial situation.

In a public statement, Peterson expressed his efforts to negotiate a settlement with the lending company. Unfortunately, he claimed all attempts to reach a resolution amicably have failed.

“Legal representatives have informally referred to the situation as ‘loan sharking’ due to the high interest rate and the predatory nature of the loan,” Peterson stated. He emphasized his desire to share his experience in hopes that others might evade similar financial troubles.

He added, “Trusting his financial advisor, as many do, Peterson relied on assurances—under now-missing recordings—that no personal funds would be required to settle the loan. Regrettably, he has been left solely responsible for the financial fallout. He looks forward to resolving this matter swiftly so he can move ahead with his life. His primary aim is to aid others in dodging comparable financial traps in the future.”

At 39, Peterson has made over $103 million throughout his 15-season NFL career. However, most of this income was generated before 2016 when he took out the loan. In the two seasons leading up to the loan, Peterson earned around $25 million. His earnings dipped significantly afterward, bringing in approximately $3.5 million in 2017, just over $1 million in 2018, $2.5 million in 2019, $1.154 million in 2020, and around $300,000 in 2021—the season in which he played his final games.

Adrian Peterson is known for a remarkable career highlighted by achieving the second-highest single-season rushing total in NFL history, achieving this feat in 2012 when he was also named the league MVP. As a three-time rushing champion, Peterson ranks fifth all-time with a total of 14,918 rushing yards throughout his career.