Chances of Everson Griffen returning to Vikings take a hit on Wednesday
By Adam Patrick
The Minnesota Vikings might have revealed their thoughts on a possible Everson Griffen reunion.
For those who have followed the Minnesota Vikings for the last decade, Everson Griffen is someone no one will be able to ever forget.
Aside from his impressive pass-rushing skills on the field, Griffen had a personality that couldn’t be ignored. He was never afraid to speak his mind, regardless of whose feelings he might hurt, but the majority of Vikings fans appreciated his brutal honesty because they knew he was being real.
Last season was the first for Griffen in the NFL without a purple and gold uniform. After spending the 2020 campaign with both the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions, the former Minnesota defensive end is still a free agent looking for a team to join.
Odds of Everson Griffen returning to Minnesota Vikings went down on Wednesday
Even though he signed with the Vikings last offseason, defensive tackle Michael Pierce got his first tour of the team’s facilities on Wednesday. Minnesota’s facilities were closed when Pierce joined the team last year, and then he opted out of the 2020 season, so he never got the chance to check everything out in person.
As part of his tour, the Vikings showed Pierce where his locker is going to be located. Minnesota posted a photo of Pierce checking out his new locker and it revealed what jersey number he will be wearing for the team next season.
The Vikings’ new defensive tackle will be sporting No. 97 when he hits the field in 2021. That jersey number is also the one that Griffen wore during his 10 years with Minnesota.
Giving Pierce No. 97 feels like the Vikings are making it clear that they’re not interested in bringing Griffen back for the 2021 season. Obviously, he could wear a different jersey number if he actually did wind up back with Minnesota this year. But it would just be incredibly odd to see Griffen on the field for the Vikings wearing a jersey without the No. 97 on it.
For those who were holding out hope for Griffen to return to the team that drafted him, it feels like Minnesota has moved on from their former defensive end.