Adrian Peterson’s Career Earnings Topped $100M and He Basically Lost It All
His net worth is in the negative millions.
Published Oct. 27 2025, 1:41 p.m. ET
People often think that when you “make it big,” whether it’s becoming an A-list celebrity, an NFL player, or even a global gaming streamer (yep, they count too), all your financial problems just disappear. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
More money almost always comes with more problems (aka more financial obligations), and that seems to be the case with former NFL running back Adrian Peterson.
His net worth is in the negative millions.
Over the course of his 13-year football career, which mainly consisted of him playing for the Minnesota Vikings and ending with the Seattle Seahawks, Peterson collected over $100 million, per Spotrac.
Yet today, his net worth is estimated to be in the negative. How, you wonder? Well, it reportedly has to do with unpaid debts and legal troubles. Here’s a closer look at what happened.
What is Adrian Peterson's net worth?
Adrian Peterson’s net worth is estimated to be negative $12 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, and it seems to have taken a nosedive after a loan he took out in 2016.
That year, Peterson reportedly borrowed a short-term, high-interest $5.2 million loan. According to Spotrac, he also collected over $12 million in cash earnings and anticipated another $18 million from a contract extension with the Vikings.
However, that deal fell through, leaving him not only without the $18 million but also without a spot on the Vikings roster.
He eventually signed a two-year, $7 million contract with the Saints, a much lower deal than expected. And as the years went on, his contracts got smaller and smaller until he left the NFL after the 2020-2021 season.
Adrian Peterson
Former NFL player
Net worth: -$12 million
Adrian Peterson has experienced plenty of highs and lows throughout his 15-season NFL career. He played for the Saints, Cardinals, Washington, Lions, Titans, and Seahawks, earning over $100 million during that time. But along with the highs came serious financial challenges, including loans, child support obligations, and legal troubles like multiple DWI arrests.
Birthdate: March 21, 1985
Birthplace: Palestine, Texas
Height: 6 feet, 1 inch
Education: University of Oklahoma
Spouse: Ashley Brown (m. 2014)
Kids: 6
The problem was that while Peterson’s earnings were decreasing, the interest on that loan was rising. And he reportedly wasn’t making payments to bring the balance down.
Naturally, the loan skyrocketed to $12.5 million by 2024. Toward the end of that year, a judge reportedly sent a debt collector to Peterson’s home to seize any assets that could help cover his outstanding financial obligation.
While his net worth might not be anything to brag about now, over Peterson’s 15-season career, he collected more than $103 million.
He started his career in 2007 with the Vikings and stayed with the team through 2016. It was during that period that he earned his biggest payouts, with 2011 being his highest-earning year, bringing in more than $20 million in cash.
He followed that with another big year in 2015, collecting $13 million, and $12 million in 2016, according to Spotrac data. But after 2017, when the Vikings didn’t extend his contract, Peterson’s earnings dropped into the single-digit millions.
Adrian Peterson’s arrests haven’t exactly helped his finances either.
In addition to letting accrue on his 2016 loan, Peterson also faced a few legal troubles that cost him financially. In 2014, he accepted a plea deal in a case where he was accused of using a switch as a form of discipline on his then 4-year-old son, according to The New York Times.
As part of the deal, Peterson pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of reckless assault, and during the 2014 season, he ended up playing only one game.
He was also booked in April 2025, on suspicion of DWI. And a few months later, at the end of October 2025, he was arrested for DWI and booked in Fort Bend County, Texas, TMZ reported.