Everson Griffen's time with the Minnesota Vikings is coming to an end.
On Friday, Griffen's agent, Brian Murphy, released a statement saying that he and his client are no longer talking to the Vikings about a new deal:
“We have broken off talks with Minnesota because they have to spend their money elsewhere and we decided to now focus our attention on free agency,” said Murphy, via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Griffen voided his contract with Minnesota earlier this offseason. But many expected the defensive lineman to return on a cheaper deal. However, with the Vikings strapped for cap space, a return was not possible.
The 32-year-old spent the first 10 years of his career in Minnesota. He is coming off of a 2019 campaign in which he played 15 games and registered 42 tackles, eight sacks and an interception en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.
Griffen was originally selected by the Vikings in the fourth round (100th pick overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft.
After a couple of quiet seasons to begin his career, Griffen began to flash his potential in his third year. He finished with 27 tackles and eight sacks that season. He went on to log his first double-digit sack season in 2014, totaling 58 tackles and 12 sacks in a breakout campaign.
The Avondale, Az. native proceeded to make his first Pro Bowl in 2015, recording 44 tackles and 10.5 sacks. It represented the first of three straight Pro Bowl selections for Griffen, with his best season coming in 2017 when he racked up 45 tackles, 13 sacks and three forced fumbles.
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