Adrian Peterson was reportedly ordered by a Houston judge to forfeit assets to pay off $12 million in debt

A Houston judge has ordered former NFL MVP Adrian Peterson to hand over assets to pay off $12 million in debt, according to multiple reports.

According to a court order obtained by USA Today and Field Level Media, the judge ordered police officers to accompany debt collector Robert Berleth to Peterson's home in Missouri City, Texas, because Berleth is seizing Peterson's assets. Missouri City is a suburb of Houston.

Berleth had requested an escort from the court in July.

According to the motion, Peterson is known to have numerous assets in his home. The judge granted Berleth's motion on Monday.

According to USA Today, the debt stems from a $5.2 million loan Peterson took out in 2016 from Pennsylvania-based lender DeAngelo Vehicle Sales LLC (“vehicle” means financial instruments, not cars). Peterson was in his final season with the Minnesota Vikings when he took out the loan. Peterson reportedly borrowed the money to pay off other debts and agreed to repay it with interest in March 2017.

At the time, Peterson was eligible for an $18 million team option with the Vikings in 2017. The Vikings declined the option and made Peterson a free agent. He then signed a two-year, $7 million contract with the New Orleans Saints.

According to court records, the debts are still outstanding and escalating, resulting in an $8.3 million judgment against Peterson in 2021 and continuing to rise through fees and interest to a total of about $12.5 million.

“No set-offs have been made against this judgment to date,” Berleth said in a July court document.

Peterson's attorney Chase Carlson issued a statement about the debt in 2019.

“This is another case of an athlete trusting the wrong people and being taken advantage of by those he trusted,” Carlson wrote.

Neither Peterson nor his representatives have commented publicly on the verdict handed down against him on Monday.

This is not Peterson's first debt problem. He was ordered to repay $2.4 million from another loan in 2019.

Peterson played 15 NFL seasons from 2007 to 2021, a career that would earn him a place in the Hall of Fame. He was a three-time rushing champion, seven-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler. He was named MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in 2012. According to Spotrac, Peterson earned more than $103 million over the course of his career.