Adrian Peterson Says Rumor He's Selling NFL Awards Trophies Is Fake News
A story emerged on Wednesday that former NFL running back Adrian Peterson was selling many of the football trophies he earned throughout his career. Peterson earned NFL Rookie of the Year honors in 2007 and was league MVP in 2012.
The story came about because an auction house in Houston, Texas had several of his items – including trophies for the above honors, among other memorabilia – listed for sale.
Peterson has had documented financial struggles in his past, including several lawsuits claiming that he did not pay back loans he had taken out.
When people saw that his items were for sale, they assumed his financial struggles probably played a role.
Former NFL running back Adrian Peterson.
However, Peterson posted a video on X claiming that he is NOT selling those items. In fact, he plans to sue the auction house for listing his items.
"I want to clarify recent rumors and media reports," Peterson says. "An estate sale company – without my authorization – included some of my trophies in a sale despite clear instructions to leave personal items untouched.
"I did not authorize the sale of any of my trophies and I will be taking legal action," he continued.
"I want to emphasize that I am financially stable and would never sell off my hard-earned trophies," he added.
A strange story, to be certain, but good that Peterson isn't so strapped for cash that he has to sell NFL MVP trophies.
It's interesting that he made a point to say that he's "financially stable" after the 2019 lawsuits brought his personal finances into the public eye.
Peterson spent 15 years in the NFL – far longer than most running backs ever play. He was a four-time first-team All-Pro and holds the record for rushing yards in a single NFL game (296).
He ran for nearly 15,000 yards in his career, which helped him earn over $130 million in NFL salary from 2007-2021.
Hopefully, he's able to get all of his trophies back. Like he said, he absolutely earned them.