Two arrest warrants have been issued for 2012 NFL MVP Adrian Peterson in Fort Bend County, Texas, for failing to appear at child support hearings. Peterson is reportedly battling financial troubles despite earning over $100 million in his career. He retired just three years ago.
The warrants, issued after Peterson missed a December 5 court date, carry bonds of $9,500 and $7,500. The cases involve two Minnesota women as custodial parents. A judge signed an order Monday allowing one child to receive a portion of Peterson’s NFL benefits for support.
“The current legal case is related to a misunderstanding regarding Adrian’s court appearances as it relates to child support, and he is actively working with his legal team to resolve this matter as quickly as possible,” his publicist Denise White said.
The child support cases add to Peterson’s history of legal and financial challenges. In September, a Houston judge ordered him to surrender assets to help pay more than $12 million in debt. The debt stems from a $5.2 million loan in 2016 that Peterson failed to repay.
A court-appointed receiver has intercepted auctions of his NFL trophies and clothing to recover funds.
Peterson, 39, claims his former financial advisor assured him the loan would be repaid through a joint business venture. However, court documents show Peterson as the sole borrower with a 12% interest rate. The loan, intended to consolidate existing debt, was tied to an anticipated $18 million Vikings contract that never materialized.
In October, Peterson pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault in Fort Bend County for allegedly slapping a woman in May, paying a $500 fine without jail time. In 2022, charges were dropped after an incident with his wife on an airplane.
The running back’s earnings declined sharply after Minnesota declined his $18 million option in 2017. He never earned more than $3.5 million annually afterward and hasn’t played since 2021.
Peterson rushed for 14,918 yards in his 14-year career, leading the league three times. He holds the single-game rushing record of 296 yards, set in his rookie season.
His career was briefly interrupted in 2014 when he missed all but one game following an indictment for reckless injury to a child, eventually pleading no contest to beating his four-year-old son with a tree branch.
𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧: Former Vikings superstar RB Adrian Peterson has warrants out for his arrest for failing to appear in court for two different child support cases, per USA Today. pic.twitter.com/PaoFhMda0F
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) December 20, 2024