Standout defensive lineman Everson Griffen, set to become a free agent, is hoping that he doesn’t have to change teams now or ever.
Griffen, who believes he has “maybe three or four” years left in the NFL, voiced his preference to stay with the Minnesota Vikings after they were eliminated from the playoffs on Saturday.
“I want to be a Viking for life,” Griffen said, via Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune. “But it’s a business, so we’ll figure that out when the time gets here.
“I want to be here. I love this team. I love this organization. They took great care of me when I needed it the most. I want to be a Viking. We’ll see what happens.”
Griffen is correct that the Vikings stood by him when it would have been easy not to. The organization stuck with him when he dealt with some severe mental health issues. The 32-year-old repaid them for that faith in 2019, collecting eight sacks and pairing with Danielle Hunter to become one of the most fearsome pass rush units in the league. Griffen knows it’s a business, but he also knows where he wants to be.
