Everson Griffen stays patient in free agency, won’t talk to Minnesota Vikings
At this point in time, things aren’t looking good for free agent defensive end Everson Griffen to return back to the Minnesota Vikings this offseason. New reports have surfaced via CBS Sports that Griffen plans to stay patient as he searches for a new place to call home as he is no longer interested in re-signing with the Vikings.
It’s a shame, really. Griffen has been a cornerstone player on the Vikings’ defense as he’s had such an impact over the last decade. So much so that he’s looking to cash in on what he could bring to a new team and has officially decided to focus more on visiting other teams once the current pandemic starts to ease up.
It’s no secret that the current pandemic has thrown a wrench into the plans of many current free agents as Griffen will likely wait until once training camps start across the league to start physically visiting teams. With his impressive career so far, he’ll likely have several teams interested in acquiring his services as he should be able to pick and choose what’s ultimately best for him.
Everson Griffen will not return to the Minnesota Vikings
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Ideally, Griffen is looking for another big contract thanks to everything he brings to the table. He’s great at pressuring quarterbacks and has a knack for making big sacks when his team needs it. Unfortunately, it’ll be a sad reality for Vikings fans across the globe to see him wearing another team’s jersey in 2020 but it is what it is.
Due to the current pandemic, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is preparing to launch a new protocol where players will eventually be allowed to return to team facilities with a target date around early to mid-June.
If this ends up being the case, it’ll likely be just a few more weeks before Griffen schedules free agent team visits and weighs his options. So far in his career, Griffen has totaled 355 tackles, 74.5 sacks, and nine forced fumbles.
The latest team rumored to be interested in potentially signing Griffen has been the Arizona Cardinals. This would be an interesting fit as Griffen was born in Avondale, AZ as that could be a perfect fit for the premier edge rusher if both sides can mutually agree to a free agent contract.
Overall, it’s sad to see that 2019 will likely be the last season we’ll ever see Griffen on the Vikings but as always, the NFL is a business as these things happen. The Vikings have added a plethora of new talent to their defense and hope they won’t miss a beat with Griffen no longer on the team. Hopefully, they made the right call by parting ways in the grand scheme of things.