Report: Former Vikings RB Adrian Peterson is ‘nearly broke’
By Adam Patrick
The former Minnesota Vikings running back is in a bit of trouble as he is reportedly being sued for failing to pay back a large multi-million dollar loan.
Since he was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2007, Adrian Peterson has earned over $100 million during his time in the NFL. Back in 2011, he signed an extension with the Vikings that ended up rewarding him with almost $50 million.
No running back in league history has earned more money than the amount that has found its way into Peterson’s bank account.
Despite his massive career earnings as an NFL player, the veteran running back is, “nearly broke,” according to a recent report by ProFootballTalk’s Michael David Smith on Tuesday.
According to the report, Peterson is being sued for failing to pay back a loan amounting to $5.2 million. A judge has already ordered the former Minnesota running back to pay back $3 million that he owes to multiple creditors.
After info about Peterson’s financial problems were made public, his lawyer released a statement on Tuesday that attempted to explain how the running back found himself in his current situation.
"“The truth behind Adrian Peterson’s current financial situation is more than is being reported at this time. 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.”"
Unfortunately, something like what Peterson is currently going through is not that uncommon. There have been numerous cases over the years of professional athletes losing money from bad investments or to people who they believed had their best interest in mind.
No one exactly knows where all of Peterson’s money has vanished to. But it certainly doesn’t sound like he has any left from the amount he earned during his time with the Vikings.