Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Everson Griffen made some extremely troubling posts on social media early Wednesday morning, and the team has provided an update on the situation.
Griffen shared some screenshots of text messages that appeared to show the 33-year-old desperately reaching out to someone for help. The texts, which were seemingly sent by Griffen, included messages like “I need help” and “people are trying to kill me.” The posts have since been deleted, but you can see them below:
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 News (@NFCNorthNewss) November 24, 2021
In another message on his Instagram story, Griffen wrote, “I need help people trying to kill me. At my own house.” He also posted a video in which he was holding a handgun. The video contains inappropriate language, but you can view it here.
The Vikings issued a statement on Tuesday morning saying they have provided support for Griffen and are cooperating with law enforcement.
Statement from the @Vikings regarding DE Everson Griffen: pic.twitter.com/fEvU1qI6jS
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 24, 2021
Griffen has struggled with mental health issues in the past. In 2018, he tried to break into a teammate’s home and escaped an ambulance when taken into custody. Griffen’s agent later said Griffen was not diagnosed with a serious mental health issue and that the incident was a result of stress.
Griffen is in his second stint with the Vikings. The team gave him another shot this season after he campaigned for a return and expressed regret over some tweets he had criticizing Kirk Cousins.
