The Vikings' search for pass rushing help beyond Danielle Hunter will now include the man with the fourth-most sacks in team history.
The team signed Everson Griffen, bringing the 33-year-old defensive lineman back for a second stint with the team that employed him for 10 seasons.
Griffen, who had 74 1/2 sacks and made four Pro Bowls in Minnesota, opted out of his deal after the 2019 season. He had an offer to return to the Vikings before 2020, though he chose a one-year deal with Dallas and later faced the Vikings when he was traded to the Detroit Lions.
He had six sacks last season, and could step into a battle for the starting right end spot with Stephen Weatherly and D.J. Wonnum as the Vikings try to find a productive option at defensive end opposite Hunter, though coach Mike Zimmer said either Weatherly or Wonnum would be the starter and Griffen would be a situational player.
"We kind of watched him [last year] but we weren't studying him. But he had six sacks," Zimmer said. "I think the way we rush would be more beneficial to him than the way he tried to do it last year. I think he probably recognizes that, as well."
Last season, Griffen reacted sharply to Zimmer calling him a "good player," saying he deserved to be referred to in higher terms before the Lions' first match-up with the Vikings.
Griffen still lives in the Twin Cities, where he's continued to train as he's sometimes publicly campaigned for a return to the Vikings.
