Still a free agent, veteran defensive end Everson Griffen will reportedly try out for the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday, a team that employed him for 10 years.
It didn’t take long after the 2020 season came to an end for former Minnesota Vikings pass rusher Everson Griffen to begin expressing his desire to return to the team that drafted him in 2010.
There were some who thought Griffen re-joining the Vikings this year was a realistic possibility. Especially after Minnesota watched their pass rush be non-existent in 2020 after Danielle Hunter was lost for the season.
But then Griffen made some posts online about current Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins that one wouldn’t exactly describe as complimentary. The veteran defensive end eventually deleted these posts and apologized to Cousins. However, it felt like any chance of Griffen suiting up for Minnesota in 2021 had vanished after this incident.
Everson Griffen reportedly has a chance to re-join the Minnesota Vikings
Now 33-years-old, Griffen is currently still a free agent hoping to find a team to play for during the upcoming season. On Tuesday, we found out that the four-time Pro Bowler’s unemployment could be coming to an end shortly thanks to the team that kept him on their roster for the first 10 years of his career.
According to multiple reports, Griffen will be at the Vikings’ practice facilities on Wednesday to work out for the team and see if he can earn a contract for the 2021 campaign.
Last season, the veteran pass rusher split his time on the rosters of the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions. Griffen only started a total of two games in 2020 (out of 14 appearances), but he still managed to rack up six sacks, 14 quarterback hits, and 23 pressures.
So he’s still got some juice left in his tank that Minnesota might be able to utilize this year. However, bringing Griffen in for a workout seems to indicate that the Vikings are not very thrilled with their current pass-rushing depth. Griffen at least has a track record of succeeding in a defense led by Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer.
The former Vikings defensive end finally has the opportunity that he’s been hoping for. Now he just has to prove to Minnesota on Wednesday that he still has what it takes to help their defense return to the top of the NFL.