LOS ANGELES _ Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen made his first public comments, on Instagram, since undergoing a mental health evaluation following two police incidents last weekend.
Griffen, the 30-year-old team captain, said he's "focused on resolving personal issues with which I have been dealing for a long time" and thanked his family, team and fans for their support.
Griffen vowed to return to the Vikings "a much-improved person and player."
"This past week's events have raised many questions and I want to apologize to everyone who was impacted," Griffen wrote on his verified Instagram account. "I am currently focused on resolving personal issues with which I have been dealing for a long time. Once I have had time to address those issues, I hope to share my story with everyone. I am extremely grateful for the support I have received from my family, the Vikings organization, my teammates and our tremendous fan base. I apologize for not being able to take the field with my teammates and do not have an exact timeline for my return. I promise, however, I will return as a much-improved person and player."
Griffen did not travel to Los Angeles with the Vikings for Thursday night's game against the Rams. He has also dealt with a knee injury that limited him before last weekend's incidents to which police twice were called upon to intervene in his erratic behavior.
