Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has revealed that he has considered retiring from the NFL.

The 29-year-old was suspended by the league following his no contest plea to an incident of abusive discipline towards his son earlier this year, which was upheld on appeal on Friday.

Peterson will not be eligible for reinstatement to the NFL until April of next year, which has led him to think about a career away from the game.

"I've considered retiring from the NFL," Peterson told ESPN. "I still made $8m this year. I've thought about getting back into the real estate [business in Texas] I'm already in. That's something I've been interested in, something I'm involved in.

"I've thought about getting back into that. I've thought about going after the Olympics - you only live once. It might be time for me to pursue that, as well. I love playing football, don't get me wrong, but this situation is deeper than that."

Peterson has recorded 10,190 rushing yards and 86 rushing touchdowns in his eight years in the NFL.