Everson Griffen is headed home. He and the Minnesota Vikings couldn't come to terms on his future with the club following the 2019 season but, two years later, he's reuniting with them following a workout with the team last week. The team announced Griffen's signing on its official Twitter account.
This resolves a major need for the Vikings, after having lost Yannick Ngakoue to the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency. Griffen will join Sheldon Richardson in returning to the Vikings defensive front this coming season.
On paper, it certainly strengthens the unit, one headlined by Danielle Hunter and Dalvin Tomlinson, the latter having also been acquired this year [via free agency]; along with Richardson, Griffen and Michael Pierce, so it appears things are coming together for Mike Zimmer's new-look pass rush unit.
Griffen negotiated a clause into his previous contract with the Vikings that allowed for the voiding of the final three years of his deal if two criteria were met. He'd first have to play in at least 57 percent of the snaps in 2019, and deliver a minimum of six sacks in the process. He'd end the season with 15 starts and eight sacks under his belt, giving him the right to opt out of the remainder of his deal and, and he did just that. The four-year, $58 million extension signed in 2017 initially locked him in through the 2022 season, and he agreed to a restructuring of the deal in 2019 -- a move that, in and of itself, hinted at what was to come.
The four-time Pro Bowler went on to sign with the Dallas Cowboys but that didn't go well, leading them to trade him to the Detroit Lions just ahead of the NFL deadline in October. He'd fare slightly better in the Motor City -- logging 3.5 sacks -- but didn't re-sign with the Lions once the season concluded.
Instead, while he'll remain in the familiar NFC North, it'll be in an equally familiar Vikings uniform. Griffen spent 10 seasons in Minnesota prior to leaving for what he thought would be greener pastures, but were anything but.
It's time for the Vikings to make their move in the NFC North. Can Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson get the job done? Download the CBS Sports app to get the latest headlines from our team of NFL experts. If you've already downloaded the CBS Sports app, favorite the Vikings right now to get all the top headlines out of Minnesota.
