In the 2010s, pass rusher Everson Griffen ranked among the NFL’s top pass rushers. But over the past few years, he’s been dealing with serious mental health issues that have impacted him on and off the field.
According to The Purple Persuasion, police records show that Griffen was arrested on Wednesday morning for a probable cause DWI in the Mound suburb of Minneapolis-St. Paul. This is the second time in the last 11 months that he’s been arrested for similar charges.
In 13 NFL seasons, 11 of which were with the Minnesota Vikings, Griffen had 85.5 sacks, 200 QB hits, 97 tackles for loss and 10 forced fumbles. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and a Second-Team All-Pro selection in 2017.
Unfortunately, things started to go south for Griffen in 2018 when he needed to get a mental health evaluation after threatening someone in a hotel. Over the next few years, he would be involved in a handful of incidents, culminating in the revelation that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Griffen’s NFL career has been put on hold, though at the age of 36, his career is pretty much over. At this point, we can only hope that he manages to overcome his current issues before something terrible happens.