There is no shortage of polarizing figures in professional sports, including the NFL. However, few had as much promise as running back Adrian Peterson did in the 2010s.
Peterson was the seventh overall pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2007 out of Oklahoma. He took the league by storm, setting a record, which still stands, for the most rushing yards in a single game with 296. He was also named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. In 2012, after returning from a torn ACL, he won the Offensive Player of the Year and the NFL MVP Award. Unfortunately, his actions off the field marred his exceptional career with controversy.
Former Vikings MVP Adrian Peterson Caught In Shocking Brawl
After the 2016 season, Peterson became a free agent and spent time with several other teams. However, he was never able to replicate the magic he had in Minnesota.
Peterson briefly went into boxing after leaving the league in 2023, even going up against fellow NFL star Le’Veon Bell. While Peterson has professionally transitioned to college football as the Director of Student-Athlete Development at Georgia Southern University, he recently decided to dust off his old boxing skills and put them to use.
According to a video posted on X by TMZ, Peterson, an avid poker player, got into a heated exchange with one of his friends at a social club. “Former NFL superstar Adrian Peterson got into a fistfight with a poker player following a dispute over a hand…and TMZ Sports has obtained video of the tussle.”
“The SHOCKING scene unfolded back on May 27… while Peterson and others were playing cards at JokerStars — a social club in Houston, Texas,” wrote TMZ in the post.
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
TMZ wrote that “Peterson took a flurry of punches to the face at the outset of the scrap, but once the fight spilled into a back wall, the ex-Minnesota Viking running back appeared to land several haymakers.”
The two were eventually separated. “Bloody wounds were visible on both their faces. Peterson, though, claimed he sustained his injury after he fell into a chair — not from a punch.”
Peterson added that he and the other man are like brothers and are “cool,” and they have since resolved the matter. He went on to add that he felt bad about the whole situation.
The police were not called to investigate, and JokerStars did not punish either man.
Peterson Plagued by Past Legal Troubles
Peterson’s temper might not have drawn law enforcement this time, but it has in the past. In 2014, Peterson pleaded no contest to charges of recklessly assaulting his four-year-old son with a tree branch. The NFL suspended him for the majority of that season.
In 2022, Peterson was arrested in Los Angeles at the airport for a domestic violence incident with his wife, Ashley. Peterson and his wife were on a flight to Houston, and the plane was forced to turn around and return to LAX, where Peterson was removed. Peterson’s wife later said it was only a verbal disagreement, and charges were dropped.
He has displayed other reckless or potentially illegal behaviors, including driving while intoxicated, and financial concerns, including loan defaults and improprieties related to his charity.
Peterson will be eligible for the NFL Hall of Fame in 2027, and most experts believe he will be a First-Ballot induction despite his off-field woes.