Former Vikings DE Everson Griffen back in the rumor mill

Is the former Minnesota Vikings pass rusher closer to joining a team?

It’s hard to imagine many people could have predicted that Everson Griffen would still be unsigned by the time the Minnesota Vikings checked into this year’s training camp. Yet, here we are.

After voiding his contract back in March, Griffen hasn’t been able to land a deal with anyone this offseason. His current status is a bit surprising since he was still productive in 2019 with the Vikings and at the very least, he could be a good situational pass-rusher for someone this year.

Some have attributed Griffen not signing with anyone yet to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not being able to visit any team’s facilities or meet with anyone face-to-face are two factors that might have prevented any teams from feeling comfortable with agreeing to a financial commitment with the veteran defensive end.

NFC West team still has interest in the former Minnesota Vikings pass rusher

During the current offseason, the Seattle Seahawks have been a team that has been mentioned multiple times as a team that is potentially interested in signing Griffen.

On Thursday, that possibility appeared to increase when NFL Media’s Michael Silver reported that the Seahawks have interest in both Griffen and free-agent linebacker Clay Matthews. Silver also mentioned that a deal for between either player and Seattle could be completed soon.

Reports of the former Minnesota pass rusher having interest from the Seahawks first happened back in May, but nothing ever resulted from it. Since then, Griffen has been linked to a number of other teams around the NFL including the Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, and Green Bay Packers.

In addition all of this, a return to the Vikings hasn’t been totally ruled out yet. Most recently, Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer said he would love for the team to re-sign their longtime defensive end.

Until Griffen actually signs a contract, it’s still hard to predict where he might land for the upcoming season. With training camps beginning around the league though and teams figuring out if they need more pass-rushing help or not, maybe he will be getting an actual job offer in the near future.