Minnetrista police were called to the home of Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen early Wednesday morning.
Officials responded to a series of disturbing videos and text messages that emerged from the 33-year-old in the hours prior.
In a shocking and troubling clip, the clearly stressed football star went on a startling, paranoid rant:
Ontem, Everson Griffen postou esse vídeo no Instagram. Ele tava armado falando que pessoas estavam tentando entrar na casa pra matar ele pic.twitter.com/JblHL13pU2
— Viking Sincero⚔️🛡️ (@Viking_Sincero) November 24, 2021
It only got worse from there, when he posted these messages on social media including ones like “I need help” and “people are trying to kill me.”:
BREAKING: #Vikings DE Everson Griffen has made some concerning post on his IG. Posting text messages where it seems like Everson may be in danger.
Praying everything is alright pic.twitter.com/2YQPZ1uY57
— NFC North Chat (@NFCnorthchat) November 24, 2021
The Vikings subsequently released this message about the ongoing situation:
Statement from the @Vikings regarding DE Everson Griffen: pic.twitter.com/fEvU1qI6jS
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 24, 2021
It’s worth noting, this isn’t Griffen’s first run with mental health issues. Three years ago, he attempted to break into a teammate’s house and subsequently fled an ambulance when taken into custody. Griffen’s agent later claimed that his client was not dealing with any sort of serious mental health issues and that what happened simply happened as a result of stress.
Clearly that doesn’t seem to be the case, though.
Wednesday afternoon local police provided this update on Griffen’s status:
Here is the update on the Everson Griffen situation from Minnetrista Police pic.twitter.com/4UDUq8DqR3
— Lou Raguse (@LouRaguse) November 24, 2021
At the moment police are making sure no one goes close to Griffen’s home as the mental health crisis continues. pic.twitter.com/HRKgEAuD1p
— Lou Raguse (@LouRaguse) November 24, 2021
Given all the tragic and unfortunate stuff that has been occurring in the NFL as of late, obviously everyone is hoping that this regrettable situation ultimately ends as quickly and peacefully as possible.
That’s one way to celebrate divorcing Johnny Manziel. https://t.co/jQ28nDRqn1
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 24, 2021
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
