Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen is getting the help he needs after an apparent mental health crisis Wednesday, the team says. Griffen called 911 from his home in Minnetrista, 25 miles outside Minneapolis, around 3am saying somebody was in his home and he had fired a shot, USA Today reports. Someone is "trying to pop me," Griffen said in a now-deleted Instagram post. He also shared a video of himself holding a gun, along with screenshots of messages to agent Brian Murphy in which he asked Murphy for help and said people were trying to kill him. Police said no intruder was found and officers determined that Griffen was alone in the house.
The Vikings sent psychologists to help police persuade Griffen to leave the residence, and he emerged peacefully almost 11 hours after the 911 call, reports the AP. Griffen "was transported by ambulance to an area health care facility where he is receiving appropriate care," police said in a statement, per the StarTribune. The 33-year-old took a team-supported monthlong break to focus on his mental health after two similar incident in 2018, ESPN reports. In a statement, the team thanked local authorities for "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 Vikings said. Griffen, who has three children with wife Tiffany, spent the first 10 years of his NFL career with the Vikings and rejoined the team this year after playing for Dallas and Detroit in 2020, the AP reports. When asked if Griffen would be playing in Sunday's game against the San Francisco, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said, "No, that’s really not our concern right now. It’s really about him." (More NFL stories.)
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