Vikings Legend · Running Back · No. 28
Adrian Peterson
Minnesota Vikings, 2007–2016 · 2012 NFL Most Valuable Player
Ten seasons in purple, the franchise rushing record, the longest single-game rushing performance in NFL history and a 2,097-yard season that arrived less than nine months after reconstructive knee surgery.
- 11,747Vikings rushing yards
- 296Yards in one game, an NFL record
- 2,097Rushing yards in 2012
- 2012NFL MVP and Offensive POY
The Player
All Day
Adrian Lewis Peterson arrived in Minnesota in 2007 as the seventh overall pick of the NFL Draft, a running back out of the University of Oklahoma. He did not need long to justify it. On 4 November 2007, in his rookie season, Peterson carried the ball 30 times for 296 yards against the San Diego Chargers, breaking Jamal Lewis's single-game rushing record by one yard in a 35-17 win. He finished the year with 1,341 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns and was voted the Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, taking 46½ of the 50 votes cast by the national panel.
The nickname — "All Day", carried over from childhood — stuck because it described the way he ran rather than how long he played. Over ten seasons with the Vikings he set the franchise records that still stand: 2,418 carries, 11,747 rushing yards and 97 rushing touchdowns.
296 rushing yards in a single game. Set as a rookie in 2007, and still the NFL record.
Peterson led the NFL in rushing three times — 1,760 yards in 2008, 2,097 in 2012 and 1,485 in 2015 — and was selected to seven Pro Bowls. He was a first-team Associated Press All-Pro four times, in 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2015, and a second-team All-Pro three times.
He left Minnesota after the 2016 season and played five more years across six clubs before his final NFL season in 2021. His career ended with 14,918 rushing yards, which ranks fifth on the NFL's all-time list as of September 2026, and 120 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 305 passes for 2,474 receiving yards.
The Vikings announced on 28 July 2026 that Peterson will be inducted into the club's Ring of Honor at halftime of the Monday Night Football game against the Buffalo Bills on 9 November 2026. He becomes eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the first time with the Class of 2027, five years after his last season.
Nine Yards Short
The 2012 Season
On 24 December 2011, in a win over Washington, Peterson tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee. He was placed on injured reserve two days later, on 26 December, and underwent reconstructive surgery. He was 26 years old.
He was back on the field for the 2012 season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on 9 September 2012, a little over eight months after the operation, and scored twice in a 26-23 Vikings win. What followed is the part that is still argued about in Minnesota. Peterson finished the regular season with 2,097 rushing yards — nine short of breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season record of 2,105, set in 1984. He did not break it. The record still belongs to Dickerson; Peterson's 2,097 is the second-highest single-season rushing total in NFL history.
The final push came on 30 December 2012 against the Green Bay Packers, when he ran for 199 yards in a 37-34 win that put the Vikings into the playoffs as the sixth seed. He was named Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player, taking 30½ of the 50 votes, and Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He remains the most recent non-quarterback to win the MVP award.
Single-season rushing, all-time
| Rank | Player | Yards | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eric Dickerson | 2,105 | 1984 |
| 2 | Adrian Peterson | 2,097 | 2012 |
| 3 | Jamal Lewis | 2,066 | 2003 |
| 4 | Barry Sanders | 2,053 | 1997 |
| 5 | Derrick Henry | 2,027 | 2020 |
Peterson came back from a torn ACL and MCL and ran for 2,097 yards the following season. He fell nine yards short of the record.
The Ledger
The Numbers
Minnesota Vikings franchise records
| Category | Total | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Rushing attempts | 2,418 | Vikings record |
| Rushing yards | 11,747 | Vikings record |
| Rushing touchdowns | 97 | Vikings record |
Full NFL career totals
| Category | Total | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Rushing yards | 14,918 | 5th all-time as of Sept 2026 |
| Rushing touchdowns | 120 | — |
| Receptions | 305 | — |
| Receiving yards | 2,474 | — |
| Rushing titles | 3 | 2008, 2012, 2015 |
11,747 rushing yards and 97 rushing touchdowns as a Viking. Both are still franchise records.
Recognition
Honours and the Hall
Major awards
- 2012 AP NFL Most Valuable Player, with 30½ of 50 votes. The most recent non-quarterback to win it.
- 2012 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
- 2007 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, with 46½ of 50 votes.
Selections
- Seven-time Pro Bowl selection: 2007–2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015.
- Four-time first-team AP All-Pro: 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2015.
- Three-time second-team All-Pro: 2007, 2010 and 2013.
Rushing titles
- 2008 — 1,760 rushing yards.
- 2012 — 2,097 rushing yards.
- 2015 — 1,485 rushing yards, at age 30.
Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor
- Not a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. Because his last NFL season was 2021, he is first eligible with the Class of 2027.
- Vikings Ring of Honor: date announced 28 July 2026; to be inducted at halftime of the Week 9 Monday night game against the Buffalo Bills on 9 November 2026.
Hall of Famer John Randle told Peterson of his Ring of Honor selection in person at the TCO Performance Center, according to Vikings.com. Planning to be at U.S. Bank Stadium for the ceremony? Kickoff time and TV for the game are on the 2026 schedule, the series history is on our Vikings vs Bills page, and our tickets guide explains where to buy seats.
The Record
Career Path
Timeline
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2004–2006
Three seasons at the University of Oklahoma.
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2007
Drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round, seventh overall. Sets the NFL single-game rushing record with 296 yards on 4 November and is voted Offensive Rookie of the Year.
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2011–2012
Tears the ACL and MCL in his left knee on 24 December 2011; returns for the opener on 9 September 2012 and runs for 2,097 yards, winning MVP and Offensive Player of the Year.
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2014
Misses almost the entire season through a legal matter and an NFL suspension (see below).
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2015
Returns and leads the NFL in rushing for a third time with 1,485 yards.
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2017–2021
New Orleans Saints (2017), Arizona Cardinals (2017), Washington (2018–2019), Detroit Lions (2020), Tennessee Titans (2021) and Seattle Seahawks (2021).
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2026–2027
Vikings Ring of Honor induction on 9 November 2026; first year of Pro Football Hall of Fame eligibility in 2027.
The 2014 suspension
On 12 September 2014 Peterson was indicted by a grand jury in Montgomery County, Texas, on a charge of reckless or negligent injury to a child, relating to the physical discipline of his four-year-old son. On 4 November 2014 he entered a plea of no contest to a reduced misdemeanour charge of reckless assault. He received probation, a $4,000 fine and 80 hours of community service, and no custodial sentence.
On 18 November 2014 the NFL suspended him without pay for the remainder of the 2014 season for violating the league's personal conduct policy, and stated he would not be considered for reinstatement before 15 April 2015. He played again in 2015 and led the league in rushing that year.
This is part of the public record and is recorded here because a career summary that omitted it would be incomplete. The sources are listed below.
Verification
Sources
Every date, figure and award on this page was checked against the following published sources. Nothing that could not be verified has been included.
- Minnesota Vikings — Adrian Peterson to be Inducted into Vikings Ring of Honor in 2026 (franchise records, draft position, 2012 MVP vote, Ring of Honor date)
- Minnesota Vikings — Vikings Legends: Adrian Peterson
- ESPN — Peterson, Roethlisberger, Gronkowski lead 2027 Hall of Fame first-time eligibles (Hall of Fame eligibility, career yards, all-time rank)
- ESPN — Vikings to induct ex-RB Adrian Peterson into ring of honor
- NFL.com — Vikings' Peterson voted AP Offensive Rookie of the Year (2007 rookie totals, 296-yard game, vote count)
- NFL.com — Adrian Peterson suspended without pay for at least 2014 season
- Sports Illustrated — Adrian Peterson breaks 2,000 yards, not Eric Dickerson's mark (30 December 2012 finale, knee injury timeline)
- Pro Football Reference — Adrian Peterson career statistics and single-season rushing leaders
- Wikipedia — Adrian Peterson (Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro years, clubs 2017–2021, with its own citations)
- Pro Football Hall of Fame — profootballhof.com (checked for induction status; Peterson is not an inductee)
The Franchise Record Holder
Ten seasons, 11,747 rushing yards and 97 touchdowns — more than any other player in Minnesota Vikings history. The Ring of Honor follows on 9 November 2026.
Vikings stats and records