Former Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson is back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. On Friday, April 25, 2025, at 3:20 a.m. CDT, the 40-year-old was arrested in Minneapolis on suspicion of drunken driving, just hours after attending the Vikings’ NFL Draft party at U.S. Bank Stadium. Peterson, a featured guest at the event, was pulled over by a Minnesota State Patrol trooper while driving an Audi Q5 on a Twin Cities road. The trooper clocked him going 83 miles per hour in a 55 mph zone—a reckless speed that immediately raised red flags. After showing signs of impairment, Peterson submitted to a preliminary breath test, which registered a blood alcohol content of 0.14%, nearly double Minnesota’s legal limit of 0.08%.
Peterson was booked into Hennepin County Jail at 5:15 a.m. on a fourth-degree DWI charge, a misdemeanor typically reserved for first-time offenders without aggravating factors. He was released just over two hours later at 7:31 a.m. after posting a $4,000 bond, with his next court appearance scheduled for May 9 in Minneapolis. The timing couldn’t be worse—Peterson had been celebrating with Vikings fans at the draft party, even joining a live broadcast with KFAN Radio, as the team selected Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson at No. 24 in the first round. What should have been a night of nostalgia for the Vikings legend, who spent 10 years with the team after being drafted seventh overall out of Oklahoma in 2007, turned into a legal mess that’s casting a shadow over his legacy.
This isn’t Peterson’s first brush with trouble, and that’s what makes this arrest sting even more for fans who watched him dominate the NFL. He’s fifth on the league’s all-time rushing list with 14,918 yards, a 2012 NFL MVP who ran for 2,097 yards that season—the second-most in a single year in league history. But off the field, Peterson’s life has been a series of controversies. In 2014, he was charged with felony child abuse after using a switch to discipline his then-4-year-old son, leaving visible marks and welts. The incident led to a suspension by the NFL, and while Peterson expressed remorse, saying he was raised with similar discipline in East Texas, it marked a turning point in how many viewed him. More recently, he’s been tangled in financial and legal woes. In December 2024, two arrest warrants were issued in Texas for failing to appear in court over child support cases, and reports surfaced that he’s $12 million in debt, with his Texas home facing foreclosure.
Peterson’s post-Vikings career saw him bounce around the league, playing for the Saints, Cardinals, Washington, Lions, Titans, and Seahawks, but he never recaptured the magic of his Minnesota days. Now, at 40, he’s facing yet another legal hurdle with this DWI charge. The fourth-degree DWI carries potential penalties in Minnesota of up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, though first-time offenders often face lighter consequences like probation or community service. Still, the bigger damage might be to Peterson’s reputation. He was at U.S. Bank Stadium to connect with fans who still cheer his name, but this arrest—combined with his history of domestic violence allegations, including a 2022 incident at LAX where he was arrested for felony domestic violence after an argument with his wife—paints a troubling picture. For a player once nicknamed “All Day” for his relentless running style, these off-field issues are a stark reminder that even the greatest athletes can struggle when the game ends.
