Vikings defensive lineman Everson Griffen posted a series of disturbing text messages and videos to his Instagram early Wednesday.
The screengrabs included texts with his agent in which he said someone was trying to kill him.
Everson Griffen brandishes a gun in a concerning video. Everson Griffen
Everson Griffen brandishes a gun in a concerning video. Everson GriffenGriffen posted a video in which he said that people were trying to “pop [him],” and displayed a weapon.
Everson Griffen texted his agent that people are trying to kill him.
“I still got clips left,” he says in the video. “This is my gun … registered to me, I bought all my bullets around town, [Vikings running back] Dalvin Cook helped me purchase this gun. It all belongs to me.”
Wednesday afternoon, the Vikings said Griffen had come out of his home, which he had previously refused to leave, without incident, and “is now getting the care he needs.”
Everson Griffen plays with the Vikings. Getty Images“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,” the team said in a statement. “Our focus remains on Everson’s health and safety and providing the proper resources for him and his family.”
Griffen, 33, has had previous scary mental health incidents over the past several years. In 2018, he jumped out of an ambulance that was taking him to a hospital for a mental health evaluation. This was the culmination of several days of concerning behavior, including threatening to “shoot someone” if he was not allowed into his Minneapolis hotel room.
Everson Griffen chases down Sam Darnold in an Oct. 17, 2021, game. Getty ImagesGriffen is an 11-year NFL veteran who has made the Pro Bowl four times. His whole career has been spent with the Vikings, except 2020, when he played for the Lions and Cowboys. This season, he has appeared in nine games and recorded five sacks.
