Finally, we have some good news on the Everson Griffen front, as it’s being reported by NFL.com that the Minnesota Vikings pass rusher has exited his home without incident following a lengthy standoff.
Griffen is reportedly being attended to by police and mental health professionals who were at his home throughout most of the day after the four-time Pro Bowler called 911 claiming someone was trying to kill him. Griffen also told the dispatcher that he had fired a gun in his home, but no one was injured.
Via NFL.com:
“Law enforcement agencies have notified us Everson Griffen came out of his home without incident and is now getting the care he needs,” the Vikings said in a statement. “We are thankful to the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the Carver County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnetrista Police Department and the Orono Police Department for their quick response and dedication to ensuring the situation ended peacefully. Our focus remains on Everson’s health and safety and providing the proper resources for him and his family.”
The incident began late in the night, when Griffen posted a video to Instagram during which he toted his gun and claimed people were trying to kill him in his home. The video was quickly deleted, but not before many had seen it and begun worrying about the safety of the defensive end.
Text messages to a friend also showed Griffen feared for his life, as he pleaded with someone by the name of “Murph” to “call 911” and “help” him.
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Griffen has a history of mental health issues, which made this all the more frightening. Back in 2018, he took a 5-game hiatus to deal with his mental health after an incident at a Minnesota hotel. Thankfully no one was hurt throughout this incident. Now the most important thing will be getting Everson the help he needs.
Vikings GM Rick Spielman indicated that he was on the scene at Griffen’s house once he was notified of what was happening. He applauded the teams preparedness for these types of incidents, praising the Vikings’ mental health team, whom he said was on the scene with him the entire time:
“I got a call real early this morning. So once I got the call, I headed over there,” Spielman said. “I can’t tell you how fortunate we are to have the mental health team we have in place that was over there with me and to watch the law enforcement groups and how they handled the situation.”
The Minnesota take on the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday in a battle that had huge playoff implications at the moment. However, it goes without saying that the health and well-being of Griffen is far more important than any football game at the right now.
