Former Vikings DE Everson Griffen arrested on suspicion of DWI

Former Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Everson Griffen was taken into custody at the Hennepin County Jail in the early hours of Wednesday morning under probable cause for DWI, according to county records. The former fourth-round pick out of USC was stopped on Interstate 35 in Mound, Minnesota around 11:35 p.m. on Tuesday night and booked around 1 a.m. on Wednesday.

Griffen hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2021 season, last suiting up for the Vikings. He played 12 seasons in the league, almost all with Minnesota. He also had stints in 2020 with the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions.

During his final season in the NFL, Griffen’s behavior sparked concerns about his mental health after he filmed himself with a gun in his house while ranting about people trying to kill him. He entered psychiatric treatment following the incident and the Vikings moved him to the reserve/non-football injury list. In 2018, the Vikings sent him a letter stating he could not return to playing with the team until he underwent a mental health evaluation. 

The Arizona native earned four Pro Bowl nominations during his career and was second-team All-Pro in 2017. He has 403 total tackles, 85.5 sacks, 10 forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, two interceptions and 20 pass break ups in his career.

Multiple Chiefs players arrested this offseason

Two members of the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line were arrested earlier this month on marijuana charges, according to FOX 4 KC’s Harold Kuntz. Both players were later released on bond.

Police arrested Wanya Morris and Chukwuebuka Godrick in Johnson County for marijuana and THC possession. Both charges are misdemeanors, and they posted their $2,500 bond.

Morris and Godrick are coming off their rookie seasons with the Chiefs on the offensive line. Kansas City selected Morris in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft after playing at Tennessee and Oklahoma.

It’s been a tumultuous offseason for the Chiefs after wide receiver Rashee Rice turned himself in to police for his involvement in a multi-car crash. He’s facing multiple charges, including counts of collision involving bodily injury, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and one count of aggravated assault.

For his role in the crash, as the NFL worked through the investigation, ESPN’s Adam Schefter predicted a multi-game suspension could be on the table for Rice after a breakout rookie campaign in 2023.

On top of these arrests, the Chiefs also learned this week that defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs has been accused of animal cruelty in Tuscaloosa. Buggs is expected to receive criminal charges over the matter.

“Isaiah Buggs, 27, is expected to receive criminal charges in the case but the civil petition says that on March 28, the Tuscaloosa Police Department received information of two dogs being left on the back porch of 5153 Diamond Circle,” Phillips said in his report.

“The petition goes on to say that when TPD and the City of Tuscaloosa’s Animal Control officers arrived, they found a grey and white pitbull on the screened-in back porch surrounded in feces, with no access to food or water.”