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With the Minnesota Vikings signing running back Latavius Murray in NFL free agency, the end appears to be near for Adrian Peterson’s Vikings career. The soon-to-be 32-year-old running back missed significant time in the 2014 and 2016 seasons, muddying his future in the NFL. While it’s likely that Peterson receives a shot with another team in 2017, it remains to be seen how much gas he has left in the tank. As of now, he remains an unsigned unrestricted free agent.
As such, we thought it would be a great time to take a look at the man’s career earnings and net worth.
Adrian Peterson’s Net Worth as of 2019: $30 Million – $40 Million
But how did Peterson get here? Let’s take a look.
2007 – 2011
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Adrian Peterson was drafted with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft following a standout career at Oklahoma. As the NFL did not institute a rookie wage scale until 2013, Peterson was able to leverage his phenomenal college career into a massive rookie deal.
The Vikings signed Peterson to a five-year, $40 million deal, which made him the highest-paid running back at the time. The contract included a $17 million signing bonus and an annual salary of $8 million.
2011 – 2014
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Peterson quickly made his case as the NFL’s best running back during the duration of his rookie contract. He rushed for at least 1,200 yards and double digit touchdowns in each of his first four seasons. As a result, the Vikings rewarded him with a six-year deal worth $86.28 million in 2011. The deal included $36 million in guaranteed money, a $12 million signing bonus and an annual salary of $14.38 million.
However, Peterson’s second contract would not be as smooth of a ride as his first.
In 2011, the first year of his new deal, Peterson tore his ACL in December. While he would return better than ever in 2012 – rushing for 2,097 yards and earning NFL MVP honors – Peterson would be put on the NFL’s exempt list in 2014 following child abuse charges. His salary for all but one game in 2014 would be forfeited as a result. Peterson missed out on an $11.75 million base salary and a $2.4 million signing bonus that year. He also did not received his $250,000 workout bonus.
The ordeal led to an entirely new deal for Peterson.
2015 – Present
(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
In 2015, Peterson signed a three-year deal worth $42 million with the Minnesota Vikings. The contract included $20 million guaranteed and an annual salary of $14 million, but did not include a signing bonus. In 2015, Peterson collected an $11 million base salary with a $2 million roster bonus. In 2016, a season that was cut short due to injury after just three games, Peterson earned a $7.75 million base salary with a $4 million roster bonus.
Following Minnesota’s signing of Latavius Murray, Peterson is not expected to re-sign with the Vikings.
2018
Since being sidelined due to injury, Adrian Peterson has been heavily rumored to be retiring from the game and this year will answer to that question.
2019
Adrian Peterson has emerged as a vocal locker-room leader after Alex Smith went down with a broken leg for the Redskins.
