The 2018 season was a difficult one for Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen.
Griffen missed five games due to off-the-field issues. While there have been rumors on what happened, or what was wrong with Griffen, it was clear that Griffen was never himself. It’s not fair to speculate.
It seems like heading into 2019, the three-time Pro Bowler is back to himself.
“Everson is the old Everson, he’s in a good place,” Vikings defensive line coach George Patterson said via Vikings.com. “It really brightens my heart to see that because I care about him a lot. I’m happy to see him being himself as a football player, and most importantly, as a human being and as a man.”
Patterson nails it. As a person, this is great news for Griffen. That’s the most-important thing here.
As for the Vikings, it’s also an important thing. The team missed Griffen last season. His 5.5 sacks were his lowest since the 2011 season.
The hope is we’ll see the Griffen we saw from 2014-17, when he averaged 10.9 sacks per season.
