Adrian Peterson's timeline of trouble: From child abuse case in NFL to latest DWI arrest

Adrian Peterson, one of few running backs to ever win an NFL MVP award, is largely considered one of the greatest players to ever play his position.

From 2007-21, Peterson ran for a total of 14,918 yards on the ground, building his legend as one of the most dynamic weapons in football behind the nickname "All Day." Primarily playing for the Minnesota Vikings, Peterson's career is viewed as one of the gold standards for a running back, with both longevity and an outstanding peak.

However, throughout his playing career and into retirement, Peterson has also found himself involved in various legal issues. That includes a suspension for the majority of the 2014 NFL season.

Here's an overview of the trouble Peterson has faced during his football career and into his retirement.

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Reckless or negligent injury to a child indictment, NFL suspension

On Sept. 12, 2014, Peterson was indicted by a grand jury in Montgomery County, Texas, on charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child. He had allegedly used a wooden implement to injure his 4-year-old son in Spring, Texas, the previous May. At the time, Peterson was in his eighth NFL season with the Vikings.

In the case, the prosecution alleged that Peterson used a tree branch to repeatedly hit and spank his son. He described the wooden implement as a "switch," and TMZ later released photos of his son's injuries from the abuse. In a statement at the time of the news through his lawyer, Peterson said he "used the same kind of discipline with his child that he experienced as a child growing up in East Texas" and "never intended to harm his son and deeply regrets the unintentional injury."

Peterson was deactivated one game by the Vikings as the 2014 season was just beginning, and he was soon placed on the NFL's commissioner’s exempt list.

On Nov. 4, 2014, Peterson pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of misdemeanor reckless assault, reaching a plea agreement that avoided jail time. He was put on probation, fined $4,000 and ordered to undergo 80 hours of community service.

Peterson was then officially suspended by the NFL for the remainder of the 2014 season. Peterson had filed a grievance with the league that he should have been reinstated from the exempt list as soon as there was a resolution in his child abuse case, but an arbitrator ruled that the NFL could keep him on its exempt list.

Following Peterson's ongoing appeal, in August 2016, a three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the NFL, reversing a ruling that had overturned Peterson's suspension and fine. Because he was technically on paid leave for a portion of the 2014 season before his suspension as well, Peterson was ordered to pay the NFL the value of three game checks from the 2014 season.

In an NFL letter to Peterson as the time of his suspension, it said that his reinstatement was "based on the results of the counseling and treatment program set forth in this decision. Under this two-step approach, the precise length of the suspension will depend on your actions. We are prepared to put in place a program that can help you to succeed, but no program can succeed without your genuine and continuing engagement. You must commit yourself to your counseling and rehabilitative effort, properly care for your children, and have no further violations of law or league policy."

In 2018, when Peterson was then a member of the Washington Redskins, he told Bleacher Report he still "had to discipline my son and spank him the other day with a belt," and that he starting using other techniques to discipline his kids, including having them do wall squats or sitting in timeout or taking away their electronics, following his legal issues.

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Ordered to repay banks for defaulting on loans

Adrian Peterson has faced multiple issues related to financial debts over the years. In 2018, he was ordered to repay a Minnesota bank for defaulting on a 2016 loan. DeAngelo Vehicle Sales LLC, a Pennsylvania loan company, had sued Peterson after the running back had defaulted on a loan and failed to make a full payment of $5.2 million by March 2017. 

Peterson had reached a settlement with the company in 2019, but in January 2021, he was then ordered by a New York State Supreme Court judge to pay DeAngelo Vehicle Sales LLC a total of $8.3 million after defaulting on the settlement, per ESPN. In the initial settlement agreement, Peterson had acknowledged "the existence and continuation of his default under the Loan and the applicable Loan documents, and that Peterson's obligation under the Loan is immediately due and payable," according to ESPN.

Peterson has said that it was a business loan that a financial advisor guaranteed would be repaid from a business he co-owned with the financial advisor and another partner, per USA Today. 

Additionally, Peterson was ordered by a Maryland state judge in 2019 to pay another creditor, Democracy Capital Corp, $2.4 million according to USA Today. His lawyer, Chase Carlson, released a statement at the time.

"The truth behind Adrian Peterson's current financial situation is more than is being reported at this time," he wrote in the statement. "Because of ongoing legal matters, I am unable to go into detail, but I will say this is yet another situation of an athlete trusting the wrong people and being taken advantage of by those he trusted. Adrian and his family look forward to sharing further details when appropriate."

In February 2024, court records still showed that Peterson had not yet paid what he owed in the DeAngelo Vehicle Sales LLC settlement, as he began to be caught in legal battles over seized property to collect on the settlement. Peterson's NFL career ended in 2021.

An estate sales company was advertising the sale of his memorabilia and NFL trophies, listed up for bid in the “Adrian Peterson Final Auction” hosted by Houston-based TexMax Auctions, according to People.

"I did not authorize the sale of any of my trophies, and I will be taking legal action," Peterson said at the time, per USA Today. "Trusting this company without supervision was my mistake. We allowed them to go into several of our storage units with clear instructions. They clearly did something unlawful. I want to emphasize that I'm financially stable and would never sell off my hard-earned trophies. And if I was gonna sell 'em, I know people that I could sell them to. I wouldn't go online and sell my personal items randomly."

In September 2024, Peterson was ordered by a Houston judge to turn over various assets in order to pay debt that was estimated at more than $12 million, per ESPN. The court-appointed receiver, Robert Berleth, said Peterson was known to have "numerous assets" at his home in Missouri City, Texas.

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Domestic incident at Los Angeles Airport

On Feb. 13, 2022, Adrian Peterson was arrested by the Los Angeles Airport Police for a domestic violence incident with his wife, Ashley Brown. During the alleged incident on a Los Angeles International Airport flight to Houston, Texas, Peterson got into a verbal and physical altercation with his wife, causing the plane to return to the airport gate and Peterson being removed from the plane.

Peterson posted a $50,000 bond and was released from police custody that day. On Feb. 15, 2022, Ashley Brown then said that “at no point did Adrian hit or strike me," 

"Adrian and I had a verbal argument," Brown said, per TMZ. "Unfortunately, it was on an airplane. ... This is a private matter between my husband and myself. We ask that everyone respect our privacy so we can focus on what matters most: our children."

Peterson also told FOX 26 Sports that a mark on Brown was the result of him taking a ring off her finger during their argument.

"Literally that's why I went to jail," Peterson said. "Because the ring left a scratch on her finger."

Peterson did not face any charges, as the Los Angeles District Attorney's office stated the domestic violence charge against Peterson would be dropped.

Arrest warrants for failure to appear in court

In December 2024, Adrian Peterson had two capias warrants for his arrest out in Fort Bend County, Texas, due to his failure to appear in court for two different child support cases. The two child-support cases listed women from Minnesota as the custodial parents, and the warrants were issued with separate cash bonds of $9,500 and $7,500, per USA Today.

“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,” Peterson's publicist, Denise White, said in a statement according to USA Today. “He is committed to clearing up this situation and moving forward positively.”

Around that time, Peterson was also given a $500 fine with no jail time after pleading no contest to misdemeanor assault for allegedly slapping a woman from behind in May 2024. 

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DWI in Minnesota

Adrian Peterson was arrested in Minnesota on a fourth-degree driving while intoxicated charge and booked into jail on the morning of April 25, 2025. He had attended a Vikings draft party at U.S. Bank Stadium the night prior, per ESPN, and received a misdemeanor charge. Peterson was released on a $4,000 bond.

Per the Star Tribune, Peterson was observed by a state trooper driving 83 mph in a 55-mph zone, and a preliminary breath test measured his blood alcohol content at 0.14%. The Minnesota state limit for driving is 0.08%. Peterson was driving in his Audi Q5, southbound Highway 77 near 66th Street in Richfield when he was pulled over, per Kare 11.

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Fight over poker game in Houston

In June 2025, Adrian Peterson was also recorded getting into a fistfight with a poker player at JokerStars in Houston, Texas. Peterson told TMZ that "one thing led to another" in a disagreement, and that alcohol was involved. Police were not involved.

"Me and the guy, we're cool," Peterson told TMZ. "We've known each other. It was literally like a brother situation. We agreed to disagree, we had our words, and we threw blows — and that was it."

DWI, unlawful carrying of a weapon in Sugar Land, Texas

On Sunday, Oct. 26, Adrian Peterson was reportedly arrested in Sugar Land, Texas, on charges of driving while intoxicated and unlawful carrying of a weapon. It was his second DWI charge of 2025.

Peterson was arrested at 9:23 a.m. CT that day, and he spent the night in jail before meeting with a judge the following day, the Fort Bend Sheriff's Office told the Houston Chronicle.

He reportedly was found asleep at the wheel of his SUV before his arrest. Law enforcement told TMZ that he displayed signs of intoxication and failed his field sobriety tests. A gun was also found inside Peterson's car.

TMZ also reported that Peterson confessed to drinking at a poker game hours before he was arrested. Peterson reportedly admitted that to a Sugar Land police officer at a gas station after he was found asleep at the wheel of his SUV. The officer said Peterson told him he had been playing cards in Houston, per TMZ, and that Peterson "had blood shot, glossy eyes as well as a slurred speech."

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