How A $5.2 Million Loan Spiralled Into A Financial Nightmare For Adrian Peterson

Over the past few months, Adrian Peterson has found himself back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

In April 2025, just hours after making a nostalgic appearance at a Minnesota Vikings NFL Draft celebration, Peterson was arrested for driving while intoxicated. According to police reports, he was clocked going 83 miles per hour in a 55 zone. His blood alcohol level tested at .14 — nearly twice the legal limit. He was booked in Minnesota and released shortly after on a $4,000 bond.

Then came today's development.

Early today, TMZ released footage showing Peterson in a physical altercation during a poker game at a Houston social club. The fight reportedly took place in late May and erupted after a heated disagreement over a hand. The video shows Peterson trading punches with another man as onlookers tried to intervene:

Former #NFL superstar #AdrianPeterson got into a fistfight with a poker player following a dispute over a hand … and #TMZSports has obtained video of the tussle. pic.twitter.com/WdhcZFHwBt

— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) June 19, 2025

Unfortunately, these incidents are just the latest entries in what has become a long and increasingly grim post-career chapter for the former NFL MVP — and likely future Hall of Famer. But beyond the recent headlines lies a deeper, more troubling story: Adrian Peterson's financial unraveling. After earning $103 million during his time in the NFL, Adrian's finances have been decimated by a $5.2 million loan he took out nearly a decade ago…

(Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images)

The Loan That Started It All

In 2016, while still under contract with the Minnesota Vikings, Peterson took out a $5.2 million loan from Pennsylvania-based DeAngelo Vehicle Sales LLC — a lender that provides short-term, high-interest financing to wealthy clients. Despite the name, this had nothing to do with cars. "Vehicle" in this case referred to financial instruments.

The terms were aggressive: Peterson was expected to repay the full amount within four months at a 12% interest rate. Confident in his earnings, he agreed. At the time, he was in line to earn up to $18 million if the Vikings exercised a team option for the following season. But when the team declined, Peterson hit free agency and signed a far less lucrative two-year, $7 million deal with the New Orleans Saints.

Without the expected cash flow, Peterson defaulted.

The Debt Snowballs

The $5.2 million loan quickly ballooned. By 2019, the lender was seeking $6.6 million in repayment, citing unpaid principal, interest, and mounting legal fees. In 2021, a court awarded DeAngelo Vehicle Sales an $8.3 million judgment.

But it didn't stop there. Over the next few years, as Peterson failed to make payments, the debt reportedly grew to approximately $12.5 million by 2024.

Court-Ordered Asset Seizure

In July 2024, debt collector Robert Berleth requested court permission to enter Peterson's home in Missouri City, Texas — a suburb of Houston — to seize assets. He noted that Peterson was known to store "numerous assets" at the residence and asked for constables to accompany him to prevent interference.

A Houston judge approved the request in September 2024. Berleth was granted the authority to enter the property and begin collecting valuables to help satisfy the judgment.

A Broader Pattern

The $5.2 million loan wasn't Peterson's only debt problem. Around the same time, he also reportedly defaulted on a $2.4 million loan from a lender in Maryland, which resulted in a separate court judgment. In 2019, Peterson's attorney acknowledged that the former star was "essentially broke," blaming his financial collapse on a pattern of trusting the wrong people and taking bad advice.

Between bad loans, rapidly compounding interest, and lawsuits, the former All-Pro running back found himself stuck in a vicious financial cycle — borrowing to stay afloat, then sinking deeper with each missed repayment.

From NFL Greatness To Financial Turmoil

Adrian Peterson is still widely regarded as one of the most dominant running backs in NFL history. His highlight reel, career statistics, and 2012 MVP season will likely earn him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

But his financial legacy tells a very different story. Despite earning more than $100 million in salary — and millions more through endorsements — Peterson now faces lawsuits, asset forfeitures, and the kind of public scrutiny no athlete wants in retirement.