Adrian Peterson's Fist Fight Over Poker Game Caught On Video

Source: Adam Bettcher / Getty

Challenging any former athlete to a physical competition is usually a bad idea for the average person, but physically fighting a former NFL player? That’s an even more questionable decision. 

Running back Adrian Peterson found himself in this situation at a Houston social club on May 27, and TMZ now has footage of the poker game gone wrong. 

The video begins with Peterson and another patron squaring up as a dealer tries to intervene. However, the two are able to make contact again, swinging on each other until the video ends with Peterson having him hemmed up against the wall and repeatedly punching him.

TMZ reports that the heated altercation occurred at Texas’ JokeStars, and Peterson told the outlet that it all started over a disagreement regarding a dealt hand. 

“Peterson tells us … he and one of his buddies were involved in a disagreement while at a gaming table, ‘one thing led to another,’ and they squared up,” TMZ writes.

Both men sustained injuries and were bloodied after they were separated, though Peterson says his facial wounds came from hitting a chair. The former Minnesota Vikings explains that the other guy wasn’t a stranger and the fight was just a one-off incident. 

“Me and the guy, we’re cool,” Peterson told TMZ. “We’ve known each other. It was literally like a brother situation. We agreed to disagree, we had our words, and we threw blows — and that was it.”

He adds that he “felt really bad” and regrets it got physical, so thankfully the cops weren’t called and the establishment didn’t punish either of the men.

Peterson is widely regarded as one of the greatest running backs in NFL history and is expected to be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame once eligible in 2027. The seven-time Pro Bowler spent the majority of his career with the Vikings, where he racked up records like the most rushing yards and touchdowns in franchise history. After stints with the New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, and other teams, he retired as a Seattle Seahawk in 2021.

He spent his first few years in retirement still in the limelight, thanks to an appearance on Dancing With the Stars, and even took part in an exhibition boxing match, where fellow former NFL player Le’Veon Bell defeated him.

But now that Peterson is throwing hands outside the ring, see how social media is reacting below.

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