EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings have placed defensive end Everson Griffen on the reserve/non-football illness list, the team announced Friday.
Griffen, 33, was transported to a mental health facility Wednesday after he refused to come out of his home following a disturbing series of posts he made on Instagram, including one in which he held a gun and said people were trying to kill him. Griffen called 911 shortly after 3 a.m. local time Wednesday and said someone was inside his home and that he needed help from the police. He told the 911 dispatcher that he fired a weapon but that nobody was injured.
Local law enforcement and Vikings team psychologists were on site and in communication with Griffen beginning around 7 a.m. Wednesday before the defensive end finally came out of his residence without incident around 1:30 p.m.
Griffen’s wife and three children were not inside their Minnetrista, Minnesota, home at the time of the incident.
Coach Mike Zimmer did not provide any update on Griffen’s condition Friday afternoon, shortly before the team placed him on the NFI list. By being placed on the list, Griffen will miss at least three games.
“You know, I don’t know,” Zimmer said. “I don’t have much of an update on him. You know, we’ve been so busy with everything.”
Griffen was officially ruled out of Minnesota’s Week 12 game at San Francisco on Friday. His absence is considered indefinite in nature.
