Adrian Peterson isn’t one to back down. Not on the field, and apparently, not at the poker table either. The Hall of Fame-bound running back found himself in a heated altercation at JokerStars, a Houston-based social club, on May 27. Peterson threw hands.
Can hardly blame Adrian Peterson for this, we’ve all had a poker game that made us wanna throw handspic.twitter.com/0BLUYKhmvu
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) June 19, 2025
TMZ Sports obtained footage of the incident, which shows Peterson squaring up with a fellow player after a disagreement over a hand. Tension escalated quickly, leading to a flurry of punches exchanged between the two men. An attempt to break up the fight failed at first, and the scrap continued until it spilled into the back of the room.
Peterson, who absorbed some early shots but retaliated with several hard blows of his own, later downplayed the incident. He told reporters the other man was a friend and called the altercation “a brother situation.”
“I felt really bad,” he said. “We threw blows, and that was it. We're cool now.”
According to Peterson, alcohol was involved but wasn’t the spark that ignited the brawl. No law enforcement showed up, and JokerStars took no disciplinary action.
What’s ironic, and maybe what added fuel to his fire, is that this altercation came right on the heels of one of the biggest slights in his career.
Article Continues BelowThe Snub That Doesn’t Sit Right
ESPN’s analytics writers Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder released their NFL All-Quarter Century team this week. They picked three running backs: Priest Holmes, Christian McCaffrey, and Derrick Henry. Even more baffling, LaDainian Tomlinson landed on the practice squad. Adrian Peterson? Nowhere to be found.
That’s right. One of the most dominant, feared, and productive rushers of the 21st century wasn’t considered top four.
It’s an outrageous omission. Adrian Peterson finished his career with more than 14,000 rushing yards and an MVP award, the only non-quarterback to win one in the past 12 seasons. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry during his prime in Minnesota, matching Henry’s career average. His later seasons brought that number down slightly, but punishing him for longevity is a strange analytical choice.
This wasn’t a decision made by the league, but it stings just the same. Because while Peterson’s name doesn’t need a list to be legendary, the omission feels like a revision of history.
Peterson says he and his friend made peace after their scuffle. But you wonder if the sting of that ESPN list might linger just a little longer.