UPDATE: Pelissero confirms Griffen was involved at an incident at a hotel in Minneapolis this weekend. The below story seems to be related to that incident. You can view the details of that report in Pelissero’s follow-up tweet here. Pelissero also adds in another tweet that Griffen is “being evaluated at a local hospital” and that there are “concerns about his mental health.”
Everson Griffen didn’t play in the Vikings’ recent loss to the Bills, and mysteriously wasn’t at the game at all. Coach Mike Zimmer said after the game that his absence wasn’t injury related and was due to something “personal.”
While the situation is still murky, new details are beginning to emerge. Griffen “has been dealing for weeks with a serious, personal health-related issue” sources told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). This helps explain why Zimmer was so vague, but still doesn’t explain why the Vikings said there was no injury to Griffen.
Vikings GM Rick Spielman released a statement with Pelissero’s report, saying “we are aware of the situation involving Everson Griffen and certainly concerned by what we have heard. We are currently focused on Everson’s well-being and providing the appropriate support for him and his family.”
Everything is very vague, but it certainly sounds like Griffen is dealing with a very serious issue. We don’t want to speculate on what it could be, so we’ll wait until further details emerge. However, it doesn’t sound like Minnesota is planning on having Griffen suit up for them anytime soon.
Kstp 5 (mn local abc affiliate) is saying he freaked at a downtown hotel and was threatening to shoot workers at the hotel in the lobby.
CTE
That was my first thought as well
I think more like PEDs.
link to kstp.com
Now more news stations are reporting he broke into a teammates home. This is not going to go well for him or the Vikes. With that contract they’re counting on him. When he’s on and has his head right, the guy is one of the key pieces to their defense.
Well his contract would be null and void if some of this stuff is true.
I have to imagine he was probably on a 72 hour psych hold based on the reported incident. The KSTP story is at link to kstp.com
It was a disaster this weekend. He was a good player. I really don’t get this behavior in players. I know people have psych problems. It’s just tough to fathom someone working so hard for most of their lives and then they break. Tough. I hope if it is something psychological he finds his way.
If it’s truly drug related get his ass off the team.
Where is that Vikes fan that was telling us that Zimmer would never have a player with Incognito type problems on the team?
It continues to amaze me how mental illness is regarded as shameful and must be concealed; a physical injury such a broken collarbone or torn ACL would be announced and no one would be embarrassed. I don’t pretend to know what Everson Griffith is dealing with but if it is a mental illness there is nothing for he or the Vikings or the NFL to be ashamed about.
Griffen . . . not Griffith. My apology.