Vikings

Everson Griffen is Upset With Mike Zimmer Over "Good Player" Comment

Mandatory Credit: Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports

Two cornerstones of the 2015 Vikings met with reporters Thursday wearing Honolulu blue: Adrian Peterson and Everson Griffen, two veterans divorced from their original franchise where they toiled for 10 seasons.

For Peterson, the sting of the breakup has worn off. “I got nothing but love for Rick Spielman, the Wilfs — they’ve all done well by me considering everything that we were able to go through during my time there,” Peterson said, ready to leave the “sour taste” of their split behind.

For Griffen, the wound still seems fresh.

The 32-year-old pass rusher hit performance-based qualifiers in 2019 that allowed him to void his contract and hit free agency, an avenue that Griffen chose when it seemed like the Vikings wouldn’t be able to afford his current contract anyway. While the Vikings expressed interest in bringing Griffen back to Minnesota, he signed a one-year deal with Dallas that ended a decade-long run that included 74.5 sacks and four playoff appearances as a Viking.

So when head coach Mike Zimmer responded to a question Wednesday asking for his thoughts about seeing Griffen at U.S. Bank Stadium Sunday, the former fourth-round pick that turned into one of the league’s best defensive ends — and one of the team’s most beloved players — expected more than what Zimmer offered.

“Yeah, I’ve seen some [film of Everson] with Dallas,” Zimmer said. “They’ve been in some of the crossover games. Everson was a good player for us. I wish him well, just not this week.”

That struck a nerve with Griffen, who was quick on Thursday to praise Zimmer as a “great coach” and had ostensibly hoped for more reciprocation of respect.

“I got a little frustrated,” Griffen said, “when I read that comment Zimmer said, ‘Oh, Everson was a good player.’ Like, Coach Zimmer just wasn’t a good coach, he was a great coach to me, so for him to call me a good player, that kind of hurts my feelings. On Sunday I’m really looking forward to playing the Vikings and showing them that I am a great player.”

He wasn’t done.

“I miss guys,” Griffen said. “I miss Harrison, I miss Anthony, I miss E.K., I miss Zimmer. So when Zimmer said that — I’m a ‘good player’ — alright, we’re going to see who’s a good player on Sunday. That’s what I’ve got for him.

“They’re going to put some respect on my name. He going to put respect on my name, that’s all I’m saying, like he just wasn’t a good coach to me, he was a great coach. He helped me improve, helped me grow. I don’t ever talk bad about people, so for him to call me a good player, all right, I got something for him on Sunday.”

Griffen continued as he reflected on a particularly big game in 2018 against Detroit.

“We also set the sack record, I think, against Detroit. We had some good moments there. I’m trying to change that role and do it opposite this week. Let us set the sack record against the Vikings, because I’m just a good player – all right.”

And some final salvos.

“I’m here to win and execute my assignment, and that’s what they’re going to get for 60 minutes. You know, we’re going to see who’s going to be a good player at the end and who’s going to be a great player at the end. Because the tape’s not going to lie. We going to see on Sunday.

“I’m going to come out and be a great player, and I’m going to come out and dominate and do that. Because I’m just a good player?”

Griffen then carried the discussion over to Twitter.

It’s impossible to know whether there’s more in play than simply Zimmer’s remarks. Perhaps Griffen was offended by the negotiations around his potential return, followed by the Vikings’ choice to trade for Yannick Ngakoue and go to great lengths to fit his salary under the cap. But that’s merely a theory.

Zimmer isn’t one to heap praise on former (or current) players, so his initial comments weren’t necessarily out of character. Aside from Zimmer, other members of the organization have spoken highly of their experiences with Griffen.

“I got nothing but great thoughts and feelings about Everson,” said Griffen’s former position coach Andre Patterson. “He’s very close to me, he always will be, I’m excited to see him on Sunday. When they kick the ball off I hope he doesn’t play great against us, and I’m going to hope he plays his tail off in every other game after that, so hopefully he’ll be a part of my life forever.”

Offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak was only around Griffen for one year but had this to say:

“I love ‘E.’ I love his energy, I love being around him in the building, on the practice field,” Kubiak said. “I have great respect for his career and how hard he plays the game. So, I think it’ll be fun for all of us to see him. We all admire him so much and he was a great teammate, so I’m just glad to see him keep going and keep playing and, yeah, I’m sure we’ll have our hands full because nobody plays harder than ‘E.’ Tell him I said hello.”

Here was his teammate for seven years, Adam Thielen:

“I always talk about having that juice and bringing that juice, and he was a guy that just brought it every single day. He brought it every single game. You need those guys on your team, you need those guys that just kind of have a little bit of attitude and tenacity. Just kind of nasty out there on the football field. I know I fed off him and his energy and the way that he played the game. He definitely meant a lot to this team as far as that leadership on the field, just giving everything he’s got every play.”

Zimmer will have an opportunity Friday to speak further on Griffen, who has turned the coach’s words into bulletin-board material for Sunday’s game.

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