Adrian Peterson got into a fight with another man during a poker game last month, and a video of the altercation has surfaced.
TMZ reported on Thursday that Peterson was involved in a fight on May 27 at a social club called JokerStars in Houston, Texas. Peterson and another player were said to have had a dispute over a hand, and the situation quickly turned ugly.
Peterson told TMZ that he and one of his friends had a disagreement while at the poker table and “one thing led to another.”
A video of the incident shows Peterson and the other man squaring up with one another and trading haymakers.
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
Peterson appeared to take several punches to the face before he gained the upper hand and began landing most of the blows. The video cut off while the fight was still ongoing.
Both Peterson and the other man reportedly had blood on their faces after they were separated, though the NFL legend claims he sustained his injury when he fell into a chair. Peterson admitted that alcohol was involved but said that was not the reason for the altercation. He called the fight “like a brother situation.”
“Me and the guy, we’re cool. We’ve known each other. It was literally like a brother situation,” Peterson said. “We agreed to disagree, we had our words, and we threw blows — and that was it.”
Peterson added that he “felt really bad” about the fight afterward and that he and the other person made amends. Police were not called.
Peterson spent the bulk of his career with the Vikings from 2007-2016. He made the Pro Bowl seven times with Minnesota and was named both NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in 2012, when he rushed for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns. Peterson still holds the record for most rushing yards in a single NFL game, which was the 296 he racked up in a 2007 game against the San Diego Chargers.
This is the second time in a matter of months that Peterson has made headlines for an unflattering reason. The 40-year-old was also arrested in April after he attended the Vikings’ NFL Draft party.