Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen was reportedly involved in at least one incident Saturday that has the organization uneasy about his well-being, though there’s potential dispute over the credibility of one report.
According to a KSTP report, Griffen threatened to shoot someone if he wasn’t let in his room at Hotel Ivy — the Vikings’ team hotel — on Saturday afternoon, though no gun was seen and no arrest was made once police arrived.
According to FOX 9, he was arrested later that day trying to break into a teammate’s home, but team sources refuted that report, per NFL Network‘s Tom Pelissero, who said that the Vikings were concerned about Griffen’s health prior to Saturday.
(UPDATE: FOX 9 corrected its report of Griffen’s arrest.)
Griffen was listed with a knee injury and missed Vikings practices all last week. He did not attend Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills with what Mike Zimmer called a “personal matter.”
The team released a statement addressing the reports: “We are aware of the situation involving Everson Griffen and certainly concerned by what we have heard,” said Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. “We are currently focused on Everson’s well-being and providing the appropriate support for him and his family.”
Griffen was arrested twice in three days back in 2011, once for public intoxication and once for fleeing police after driving with an invalid license. He had transformed into a locker room leader in recent seasons, however, and had been named a team captain.
Teammate Danielle Hunter was asked Monday what Griffen’s absence meant to the defense. “We all just come together as a group,” he said. “We say we’re doing this for him. It’s all about just going out there and doing your job, and just playing for each other and playing for him also.”
Head coach Mike Zimmer is scheduled to speak to reporters Tuesday at 12:45 p.m.
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