Former NFL MVP Adrian Peterson was sleeping in the driver's seat of his car with the engine running prior to his DWI arrest in Texas on Sunday (October 26), according to photos obtained and shared by TMZ Sports.

Peterson, 40, was hunched over the wheel of his SUV parked at a gas station in Sugar Land, in the photos shared on Tuesday, which law enforcement sources confirmed was how he was found by police. The legendary running back was reportedly taken out of his vehicle and later failed field sobriety tests, while a gun was located inside his vehicle, TMZ Sports reported.

Peterson, who was previously arrested in April, was charged with driving while intoxicated and unlawful carrying of a weapon, according to Fort Bend County, Texas, jail records. The former running back was detained at around 9:30 a.m. local time, the Sugar Land Police Department confirmed to KHOU.

Peterson was previously arrested for fourth-degree driving while impaired on April 25, hours after attending the Minnesota Vikings' 2025 NFL Draft party. The former NFL MVP was reportedly pulled over at around 3:20 a.m. local time after being clocked at 83 MPH in a 55 MPH zone, at which point he blew a .14 on a breathalyzer, which exceeded the legal limit of .08, during the April incident.

Peterson, who spent his first 10 seasons with the Vikings, including his 2012 NFL MVP season, was at U.S. Bank Stadium and featured as a guest during the team's draft party hours prior. The NFL legend has faced a series of legal issues over the years which included charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child, which he later pleaded no contest to, in 2014, resulting in his suspension during the 2014 NFL season.

Peterson was also busted for defaulting on a 2016 loan and arrested in 2022 over a domestic violence incident with his wife that caused him to be kicked off a flight, though she later described the situation as a verbal argument, denying her husband had ever hit her. Peterson was also previously reported to be facing arrest warrants for failing to appear in court in relation to two separate child support cases in Texas last December.

The running back pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault in the same county in October 2024 in relation to allegations that he slapped a woman from behind in May 2024. Peterson ranks fifth all-time in career rushing yards with 14,918, which included bouncing back from a torn ACL to break the 2,000-yard rushing plateau and win the Associated Press Most Valuable Player award in 2012.

The former Oklahoma University standout also had since had stints with several other NFL teams including the New Orleans Saints (2017), Arizona Cardinals (2017), the now-Washington Commanders (2018-19), Detroit Lions (2020), Tennessee Titans (2021) and Seattle Seahawks (2021).

Paul Allen