Adrian Peterson deep in debt despite earning $99m after 'trusting wrong people'
Financial problems continue to mount for Washington running back Adrian Peterson, who is being sued for failure to repay a $5.2m loan, according to a report published on Tuesday in The Athletic.
Peterson is involved in three lawsuits and owes $6.6m (which included interest and legal fees) to DeAngelo Vehicle Sales, the company that filed the latest lawsuit in New York, according to The Athletic. He also owes a combined $3m to two other creditors.
Chase Carlson, the lawyer for the 34-year-old Peterson, believes his client’s problems involve a matter of trusting the wrong people. “The truth behind Adrian Peterson’s current financial situation is more than is being reported at this time,” Carlson said in a 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.”
Peterson has earned $99m in his 12-year career. The seven-time Pro Bowler’s 13,318 rushing yards are the eighth-most in NFL history. Peterson, who agreed in March to a two-year deal with Washington worth up to $5m that also includes annual incentives of $1.5m, enters training camp on Wednesday in competition with Derrius Guice for the starting job.
Peterson rushed for 1,042 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games for Washington last season after signing late in training camp following Guice’s torn ACL.
The 1,000-yard campaign was the eighth of Peterson’s career, topped by his memorable 2,097-yard season with the Minnesota Vikings in 2012, when he fell eight yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s all-time mark set in 1984.