The NFL’s last non-quarterback MVP squandered $100 million in career earnings and went bankrupt, leaving Shannon Sharpe shocked

Adrian Peterson is still the last non-quarterback to win the NFL MVP award.

Peterson played in seven Pro Bowls in a decade with the Minnesota Vikings, who drafted him out of Oklahoma as the seventh overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.

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The dynamic wide receiver set numerous NFL records during his Hall of Fame career and finished the 2012 season with 2,097 rushing yards – nine yards less than Eric Dickerson’s all-time single-season record.

Peterson was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player for his accomplishments that season, becoming one of only 16 RBs in league history to win the award.

He led the league in rushing yards three times and ranks fifth all-time with 14,918 rushing yards and 90 touchdowns in 184 career games (167 as a starter).

After leaving Minnesota, he played for six other teams, including Arizona, New Orleans, Washington, Detroit, Tennessee and Seattle.

The power forward, considered one of the best in league history, earned more than $100 million during his 15-year NFL career from 2007 to 2021.

However, Peterson is now reportedly saddled with debts estimated at more than $12 million, and a Houston judge recently issued an order requiring him to sell numerous assets to pay them off.

It is the latest installment in a long legal battle to get Peterson to repay a $5.2 million loan he took out in 2016 from a Pennsylvania-based payday loan company that was supposed to be used to pay off debts to other lenders.

Peterson took out the loan with the intention of paying it off the following year, but after he was cut from the Vikings roster in 2017, it took a significant toll on his earnings.

A free agent, he was then acquired for a significantly lower salary than what he had previously been paid in Minnesota, $18 million, and over time the initial debt doubled to more than $12 million.

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In July 2024, a court-appointed administrator asked a judge to order police officers to accompany him to Peterson’s Missouri City home so he could take inventory of saleable assets.

Peterson has denied reports that a number of his NFL trophies, including his 2012 MVP award, are up for sale at an online auction in Texas.

The auction was postponed indefinitely, and Peterson said an “estate sales company” included his trophies in the sale without his consent.

“I want to make it clear that I am financially stable and would never sell my hard-earned trophies,” Peterson said on social media.

“And if I were to sell them, I know people I could sell them to. I wouldn’t just go online and randomly sell my personal stuff.”

Former NFL player Shannon Sharpe recently spoke about Peterson’s current financial situation with former Bengals player Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson on the Nightcap podcast.

“Man, AP! You made $100 million and he borrowed, I think he borrowed like $5 million over two years,” Sharpe said in a recent episode.

“The end result of borrowing money this way is that you have to pay interest of 20-25%.”

Johnson expressed sympathy for Peterson and called the difficult situation quite “unfortunate.” He said he hopes the athlete will overcome his financial situation.

Sharpe was less sympathetic and said the athlete had been financially irresponsible in taking out a loan to pay for his 30th birthday party.

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According to reports at the time, in 2015, Peterson rode a camel to an event in Houston, Texas.

The birthday party reportedly had more than 300 guests. Peterson had a giant 12-foot ice cube bar, and his cake was a purple-and-gold monolith resembling the Taj Mahal.

Actor and musician Jamie Foxx also appeared at the event, dancing to Michael Jackson songs.

“Who takes out a loan to throw a birthday party except who? Trying to impress the party guests,” Sharpe said in frustration.

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“I don’t know 300 people. I’m 56 years old, I don’t know 300 people.”

Peterson’s story is sad, but also a warning to professional athletes who are entering the period after their sports careers.

In 2015, Sports Illustrated estimated that 80% of former NFL players lose money within the first three years of retiring from the league.

A number of factors have been cited as contributing factors, including lack of competent financial planning advice, having to provide financial support to family, extended family and friends with whom one cannot identify, divorce and lack of preparation for a second career.

The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) tries to protect players financially, but it is not always effective.

Watch the first episode of our new show ‘Run Down’ on talkSPORT’s NFL channel